After The End: New Beginnings
by SplendentGoddess
Summary: Welcome to my official post-manga universe! This introductory story takes us through Kagome's return to the past, and her developing relationship with Inuyasha. The first installment of what will be my "After The End" series!
1. Every new beginning

Blanket Disclaimer:

Inuyasha, and the characters therein, are the property of Rumiko Takahashi. I am in no way affiliated with Takahashi, or VIZ Productions.

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A/N:

Welcome! As the summary states, this is an introductory piece into what will henceforth be my _official _and _canon _post-manga universe, as opposed to the many other off-canon divergence stories I will also continue to write. Every story in this collection will begin with the header "After The End" and then be fitted with varying, appropriate subtitles. If the name "After The End" sounds familiar to you, that's because once upon a time Knittingknots wrote an off-canon post-manga divergence of the same name, but I have her full permission to use the title.

This first story takes us through the final chapter of the official manga (not including the post-production bonus chapter), involving Kagome's return to the past and her developing relationship with Inuyasha, so this is my official disclaimer that I am purposefully quoting some snippets of the manga here and there, as well as describing the scenery in some manga frames. It's not my intention to plagiarizer anything and anyone familiar with the manga will recognize the 'borrowed' elements I've incorporated in and around my original creation. Also, please note this story follows the _manga _canon, not the anime canon, which is fairly different in some ways. Any events or people that are anime-exclusive don't exist in this universe. Of course, the names "Izayoi" for Inuyasha's mother, "Yuka, Eri and Ayumi" for Kagome's school friends and "Ginta and Hakkaku" for Kouga's lackeys are technically also anime-exclusive, since these people are nameless in the manga, but since these names are so widely accepted throughout the fandom it'd be stupid of me not to use them, therefore I'll always use these character names even when it's a manga-based universe. Other than that, though, I will endeavor to pull my hardcore canon truths from the manga alone, using my own imagination and desires to fill in the gaps, regardless of whether my choices compliment or contradict the anime.

Also, please note that while this story does contain lemons, _this _version has been edited down to comply with FF's policy of not permitting super hardcore X rated fics. The uncensored, X rated version of this story can currently be found on both MM and AFF.

Now that _that's_ out of the way, let's start the show!

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Chapter 1 – Every new beginning comes from some other beginning's end

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"Congratulations graduating!"

Everyone cheered as the announcement rang out. Smiling contentedly, proud of herself for her accomplishment, Kagome made her way over to her waiting family, diploma in hand.

"I'm so proud of you, dear." her mother stated with joy in her voice, eyes sparkling.

"Yes, indeed." her grandfather agreed.

"Way to go, Nee-chan." Souta added, looking up at his big sister with admiration in his eyes, even though he didn't have to look quite as _far _up anymore those days, what with his latest growth spurt.

"Thanks, guys." the miko replied, smiling a little brighter. There had been a time when she wasn't honestly sure she'd ever make it to that point, graduating high school, so her family's praise was definitely well earned.

There had been a time when she'd almost never even _started _high school...

"Kagome!"

Eri's voice calling her name pulled Kagome from her wandering thoughts, and she turned, happy to see her three school friends coming her way.

"Ah!" Waving them over, Kagome passed grinning looks back and forth between her friends and family as the three girls approached.

Kagome's family had told Yuka, Eri and Ayumi the truth about her adventures in the past three years ago, when the girls had happened upon the scene in the well-house when they'd stopped by to inquire on her health after she'd missed the first few days of high school, when Kagome had been locked away in the Shikon. The miko still distinctly remembered the second tearful reunion she'd had upon her return, after the first one when she'd hugged her family right there in the well-house, so very relieved to be back home, to be _alive_. That happiness had been short lived when Inuyasha had unexpectedly been ripped from her, but at the time she hadn't fully comprehended the fact that she might never see him again. The idea of jumping into the well after him had crossed her mind, briefly, but then she'd decided against it, returning to her mother's embrace like the frightened child she'd honestly been. Later that afternoon, after a warm bath and hot bowl of oden, her mother had phoned up her girlfriends, and Yuka, Eri and Ayumi had all immediately rushed over, giving Kagome tearful hugs of their own.

They had actually accepted the truth easier than Kagome had thought they would've, but she suppose it'd helped that they'd already seen Inuyasha's ears and how fast he could run during that incident at the train station. They'd tried to be rational and shrug it off at the time, pretending he was just a weird cosplayer and that they'd imagined his supernatural abilities, but learning the truth, they'd actually been relieved to realize they hadn't been crazy, after all, seeing what they'd seen.

Upon Kagome's return they'd eagerly helped her catch up on everything she'd missed those first few days of high school, and pretty soon, finally able to study on a regular basis, Kagome had been able to repair her fallen grades, graduating now with good enough grades to get into a university, although she had no intention of applying.

"Good afternoon, ma'am." Yuka stated in greeting to Kagome's mother as the three girls closed the final gap between them in that moment.

"Congratulations graduating." Mrs. Higurashi stated in reply.

"You all got into college, didn't you?" Kagome asked the trio.

"Oh, congratulations!" her mother chimed back in.

Mrs. Higurashi knew Kagome had no intention of going to college, and she couldn't honestly say she blamed her or was disappointed, but she was genuinely happy for her daughter's three friends nonetheless.

"Yup!" Ayumi answered. "I'm going to be an interpreter."

"I'm going to be an announcer." Yuka added.

"Well, you'd better be 'Miss Campus' first." Eri teased Yuka, looking her way.

Kagome just smiled, amused by their antics.

"What about you, Kagome?" Ayumi asked then.

"I think...I think I'm done with school for the time being. I'm going to help my family at the shrine." she stated, glancing over her shoulder at her smiling family members.

Yuka, Eri and Ayumi all nodded their deeper understanding. The conversation would have continued, but Eri's mother called for her from across the crowd in that moment, drawing the teenager's attention.

"Time to go." she stated as she glanced over her shoulder and waved to her mother to let her know she'd heard, before then turning back to Kagome. "Don't be a stranger." she said to the miko with a friendly grin before she turned to leave.

"Bye." Ayumi said with a small wave as she headed away as well.

"See ya 'round, Kagome!" Yuka added, turning to follow after the others.

Watching them go, the miko couldn't help it as her thoughts drifted back to that tearful reunion again, when her friends had been relieved to see she'd been returned to them alive and well, and she'd spent the next several hours telling them all about her adventures in the past.

_It's been three years since then_... she thought. Where did all the time go?

Heading with her family to their car, the ride back home was a quiet one, but a tranquil quiet, not awkward in the slightest. Getting out of the car once they arrived and heading up the mass of stone steps that led up to her childhood home, Kagome allowed her mind to wander, passing a sideways glance at the well-house as she reached the top of the stairs and made her way to the main house with the rest of her family.

_Three days after the well on this side disappeared, the well reappeared in a pillar of light, and I returned with Inuyasha_... she remembered, sighing. _Since then, the well no longer connected_.

At the time, when Inuyasha had suddenly disappeared back into the well's depths and she'd run up to the well crying his name, she hadn't felt brave enough to jump in after him, even though a part of her had wanted to. She just hadn't been able to leave her family again, still so very afraid of the darkness and afraid of somehow ending up back there, even though the logical part of her mind had known that wasn't possible, since the sacred jewel was no more. Turning back to look over her shoulder at their worried faces, she'd known her family had also been as equally afraid of losing _her_ again, and after just barely getting her back, too, so instead of leaping into the well she'd run back into her mother's arms and had allowed her family to usher her out of the well-house, murmuring reassurances that everything would be all right.

It had been a few days before she'd braved trying the well, not so much afraid to discover that it wouldn't let her pass but more afraid of becoming trapped in the past if it _did, _and then when she'd discovered that the well was actually closed and she couldn't get through she'd been devastated, realizing that that explained why Inuyasha had not yet returned. She'd thought, she'd _hoped_, that the well would still work as a back and forth portal between the two worlds, and that it would turn out Inuyasha had just been giving her a few days to recuperate, the hanyou figuring she'd return to his world once she was ready, once she had settled back in with her family. To realize the well was actually closed, a thousand paranoid worries had rushed through her head, wondering what had happened to him, and what he might have thought had happened to her and whether or not she even _wanted _to return, not to mention whether or not _he_ wanted her to. The list went on and on. But with high school already underway and her grades already suffering big time, she had chosen quickly enough to at least _try _and put worries about the well and Inuyasha out of her mind for the time being and concentrate on her schooling, instead. It hadn't really worked, since she'd never been able to get thoughts of Inuyasha out of her mind, but completing high school was something she knew she'd needed to do, for honor's sake, and so she'd still done her best to focus the majority of her attention on her schooling.

And she had achieved her goal; she had graduated high school. Inuyasha would be proud of her. He might not have _really _understood, but he'd understood that it was important to her, and she could just imagine the way his voice would've sounded, praising her on a job well done for having achieved what she'd set out to do and honoring herself and her family with her accomplishment.

She sighed.

Slipping off her shoes as she entered the genkan, Kagome made her way up to her room and changed out of her school uniform into a plain white yukata, preparing to take a bath, trying yet again to get thoughts of her beloved hanyou out of her head for the time being so that she could have at least a few moments of peace.

Passing her mother in the kitchen on her way to the wash room, Mrs. Higurashi congratulated her daughter yet again, and said, "I'm making your favorite for dinner." as she started pulling ingredients for oden out of the refrigerator.

"That sounds wonderful." Kagome replied honestly and with a genuine smile. She then headed into the wash room and proceeded to wash the day away.

_Today is the first day of the rest of my life_... she thought as she soaped up, snorting at the cliché. _On second thought, __tomorrow__ can be the first day of the rest of my life_. _I just want to have the rest of today off and not have to think about anything_...

Not thinking about anything sounded like a lovely idea.

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The early spring morning air was crisp, with a hint of the lingering bite of winter, though new life was already starting to grow in the fields, anticipating the coming warmth. Stepping outside into the morning light, Kaede stretched her back, working out some of the kinks, an empty basket in hand. Her destination, the wild herb field that grew along the southern slope of the nearby foothills, on the west end of the village. Even if most of the medicinal herbs weren't ready to be gathered just yet, she was certain she could find enough edibles to make it worth her while; they always tasted the best when picked young.

Looking up from her place clearing away a few rouge weeds along the edge of the small house as her guardian stepped outside, Rin rose to her feet and dusted the dirt from her knees.

"Did you want me to go with you, Kaede-sama?" the eleven-year-old asked, recognizing the basket Kaede held.

"No, child," the old miko answered, smiling at her young ward, "you have your chores and I have mine. Please continue with your weeding. You don't know what a help it has been for this old woman to not have to do quite so much bending these last few years."

Rin smiled at that and knelt back down, getting back to work filling her own basket. The weeds would get added to the compost pile for the vegetable garden.

"Besides," Kaede added then, smiling as the child worked, "I want you here in case someone should come calling for my aid in my absence. In that case, use those quick legs of yours to come and fetch me in the herb field."

"Okay, Kaede-sama." Rin acknowledged with a polite little bow of her head as she worked. "If you see Inuyasha-sama, tell him Rin says hi."

Kaede nodded to that, and turning, headed off in the direction of the herb field, which was located around the bend, southwest from her home.

Not terribly far away, but well out of earshot to pick up Kaede and Rin's conversation, their voices becoming mixed in with the background white noise of the rest of the villagers' morning chatter, Inuyasha lounged on a thick branch of a sturdy tree, back against the trunk. He stayed out in the woods most nights, when the weather permitted it, preferring his solitude and the familiarity of the forest, but even so he'd be the first to admit it was nice having the ability to go indoors out of the rain if the need arose, not to mention never having to worry about finding shelter for his human nights. He knew Kaede's home was always open to him whenever he needed it, as was Miroku and Sango's, actually, although ever since their house was finished and they'd moved in he'd continued to spend his human nights with Kaede. Even though they'd offered, he'd told the newlyweds at that time that they didn't need to take a night out of their new routine to babysit him when he could just as easily stay with Kaede and Rin. Of course, it was a given these days that he would stay with Sesshoumaru's girl and the miko, since the twins were far too young to understand why they'd need to keep such a secret. The village at large had no idea about his human night, and he planned on _keeping_ it that way. He had recently spent a stormy night with them, though, while in hanyou form of course, when the twins had insisted on it because they'd been convinced the thunder was a ravenous youkai out to get them. What could he say? He'd always had a soft spot for crying girls. He'd put his foot down, though, that he wouldn't ever stay with them unless the weather was _really _bad, so that Mizuki and Misaki wouldn't get into the habit of wanting him there every single night. He liked Miroku and Sango's daughters well enough, but sometimes those two just didn't know when to quit, and now it was even more troublesome with the new baby waking at all hours of the night from the tiniest little noise.

_Keh, brat's got youkai hearing, and yet his own screamin' don't seem to bother him none_... the hanyou mused, his ears automatically flattening to his head at the memory of some of young Ichirou's wailing cries.

Even so, the knowledge that he had _friends_, and that those friends would open their homes to him whenever he needed it, really meant a lot to the hanyou. He was no longer alone, even though sometimes, he was still lonely.

He sighed.

_I know they mean well, but keh_...

Back when Miroku had officialized his marriage to Sango with the village headman, arranging for them to become permanent residents of the village and for their house to be constructed, Miroku had asked Inuyasha on the side if he'd wanted a house of his own, as well. The villagers had been more than willing to assist in Miroku's case, organizing the building party and even accepting no payment for the hired carpenters to do the initial framework, the locals footing the bill themselves as they insisted it was their show of thanks for all the houshi and taijiya had done for them, but Inuyasha hadn't been so sure how the itinerant carpenters would have felt being asked to build a house for a _hanyou, _not to mention whether or not the local villagers would have actually been cool with it, and so he'd let it slide. Sure, he knew they accepted him hanging around those days, and actually, from what he usually overheard the vast majority of the villagers were actually _glad _he stayed in the local woods, still calling it 'Inuyasha's Forest' and even considering him their resident youkai protector, but if there was one thing Inuyasha had learned the hard way over the years it was to not press his luck, and so he hadn't wanted to tempt fate by taking things one step too far. A mystical forest spirit that kept watch over your village was one thing, that same magical being actually taking up residence _within _the village was something else entirely, and besides, what did he need with his own house, really?

_Not like I have anyone to share it with_...

Sometimes, he'd admit it, he was a little jealous of Sango and Miroku's happiness, but he was also genuinely happy for them. They'd all been through _hell _together, some of them literally, and so those two definitely deserved their happily ever after. And Kagome, he knew, was safe and _hopefully _happy in her own world.

He sighed again, before tilting his nose up, catching a new scent on the wind.

_Looks like the babaa's up_... he thought, leaping down from his perch and bounding through the trees to loop around the back way through the northern, rocky foothills, headed for the herb field on the other side of the miko's house.

Sure, he could have cut straight through the village due west to get there, but the whole point of being a 'forest spirit' was to stay in the forest whenever possible, right? The way he figured it, the less the villagers saw of him casually strolling through town, the more mystical his presence among them would remain. Heading north past the well clearing and up the rock face on the other side, then, he dashed up the carved out steps that curved around to the west towards the widest part of the river, towards the back way to the shrine-temple and graveyard. It was an area he knew well. Passing the spot where he'd first seen Kagome naked he paused for a moment at the fond memory, gazing out at the river below, and then shaking his head to clear it of such random thoughts he continued west and then zipped south past the holy grounds, bypassing the main shrine steps that led down to Kaede's house, heading across the incline to one of his favorite spots for overlooking the village. From there he had the perfect vantage point to see Kaede sitting in the herb field below, her basket beside her, and silently, he made his approach.

She never turned around to look in his direction, and he didn't make a single sound, but when he was about thirty feet away...

"Good morning, Inuyasha." Kaede greeted as she continued to sort through the new growth around her, having easily sensed Inuyasha's youki. "Rin sends her greetings, as well."

"Keh, she's a good kid." he replied for something to say, taking a seat beside the miko.

"That she is, and a good worker, as well." Kaede said as she placed some more greens into her basket. "I'm pleased your brother decided to have her stay with me through these formative years, for more than one reason. I agree that it is best for her to have less tragic memories of human village life, so that she can make a more informed decision for what she wants in her own life when the time comes, but in the meantime, I will admit I have grown accustomed to sharing my dwelling with others. The prospect of an empty house seems lonelier now, than it used to; even one house guest is fewer than I had gotten used to accommodating."

She passed the hanyou a meaningful glance with her good eye, and catching it, he rolled his own, sighing overdramatically.

"That your way of sayin' you miss me, babaa? Figured you'd be glad to finally be rid of me." he quipped, knowing his teasing would earn a chuckle from the elderly miko, which it did.

They'd had this discussion before, on numerous occasions. Kaede didn't see why Inuyasha felt the need to stay by himself within the forest most days and nights, but she respected his privacy if that was where he truly felt the most comfortable. She only wanted to make sure he knew that he _was _welcome in her home, and not just on rainy and new moon nights.

"If you truly believe I find your presence so afflictive then why always accompany me in the herb field?" she teased in return, picking a few more herbs in between passing glances at the hanyou who was becoming increasingly melancholy.

Inuyasha chuckled, then sighed, shaking his head. Passing her a weak but still mildly playful smirk, he said, "Somebody's gotta make sure you stay outta trouble."

Kaede nodded to that, as if not questioning that his presence was solely for her own protection. Things became quiet, then, as Kaede continued plucking through the new spring grasses in search of things that would be delicious in soup. She heard it as Inuyasha sighed again, and then the hanyou shifted slightly, facing away from her as he peered out over the valley below and the southern forest beyond, Fujiyama sticking up in the distance. It was a peaceful location.

Inuyasha's ears flicked back on occasion, picking up the quiet sounds of Kaede sorting through the greenery, although he remained looking in the other direction, staring off into space more than anything else, really. He always got a little down this time of year, as he remembered... Allowing his mind to wander some in that moment, he uncrossed his arms, propping his right elbow against his leg to rest his chin in his hand. Kaede remained silent, and he knew she wouldn't speak again unless he spoke first. Kaede was good like that, knowing when he needed to be left alone to his thoughts, saying her few quick lines to make sure he knew where her heart lied before then leaving him in peace. He knew she'd always be ready to listen, whenever he was finally ready to talk.

"Do you think she'll ever come back?" he asked suddenly, not turning to face the miko.

"Do you believe it is her decision to remain away?" Kaede countered, and he glanced her way for a second before turning back to his previous position.

"No..." he replied honestly. "Back in the beginning, I...I used to fear that she'd get tired of coming here, that she'd realize one day how dangerous it is, or that her own world was just too important to her, or even that I'd say the wrong thing and chase her away with my own damn mouth, but I stopped thinking irrationally like that long before we killed Naraku."

He inhaled slowly, letting it out in a rush.

"I know the well's still sealed, I check it sometimes. I know she'd come back if she _could_, I...I just wonder if maybe...maybe...but probably not, right? I mean, if it was gonna open back up again it would've done it by now, wouldn't it? So maybe…maybe the well will never open up again. Maybe I really will never see her again."

He paused, and thought a moment, then... "Man, it sucks saying that out loud."

"Do you regret it?" Kaede asked carefully. "The way things ended?"

"If you're askin' if there are things I wish I would've said to her, yeah, but I can't really say I wish she would've stayed stuck here with me without it sounding too much like I'm bein' a greedy bastard, so even though I miss her, I'm glad I was able to bring her back home to her family, like I'd promised 'em I would."

Thinking back on it, he remembered the tearful reunion between Kagome and her family, and even though he hadn't even had the chance to say goodbye, he'd felt contentment to know that she was back where she belonged.

"At that time, I was relieved to just be able to send Kagome home." he admitted.

"So you're saying you came back yourself." Kaede stated while looking at the herbs she was sorting. It wasn't really phrased like a question.

"Yeah, I guess." Inuyasha agreed, thinking about it.

He'd been suspended, floating in the well, just like the way he'd been floating within the meidou, and he hadn't even thought about climbing out of it. Not like the way Kagome had immediately dashed out of the well and into her mother's arms. Seeing the scene that had unfolded before him, he'd felt genuine satisfaction in returning her home safely, and he'd had the passing thought that that was where she belonged, that he didn't have the right to keep her away from her family, and in the moment he'd thought that a bright light had suddenly come forth from within the well and yanked him back down. It'd been too late to stop his descent when Kagome had turned and started speaking to him; at that point he'd already been caught in the well's light. He supposed looking back on it, it was his own thoughts that had triggered his return, and once it was activated that was simply it, so suddenly wanting to stay for a moment longer as Kagome had turned his way hadn't affected anything.

Looking back on it, he tried not to think about that precise moment, and the look on Kagome's face as she'd realized he was disappearing, and instead he focused on the moment right before it, when she'd been hugging her mother, and the relieved look in her family members' eyes.

"Kagome's mom and brother and grandpa were all crying and stuff." he elaborated out loud, then, admitting, "I'm not the only person who Kagome is important to, after all..."

He let his words trail off at that, unsure of what else to say, or even if anything else needed to be said. Even though Kagome had turned his way, and had looked devastated at his sudden departure, he had to remember how relieved and grateful her family had looked. She was back where she belonged, now. It was for the best.

"Inuyasha, when did you become so wise?" Kaede asked, a hint of motherly pride in her voice.

Before he could verbally respond, or even turn to meet Kaede's gaze, Shippou's voice ringing out with a matter-of-factly "I know." immediately earned the pair's attention.

"Shippou." Kaede stated in greeting to the giant floating pink balloon that was the fox child, while Inuyasha silently glared at the eavesdropping kitsune from over his shoulder.

Hoping to change the subject for Inuyasha's sake, Kaede asked the kitsune, "You were off taking the Kitsune Youjutsu exam, weren't you?"

She already knew the answer, of course, but figured it would distract the boy, as he would undoubtedly brag about his latest grade, which he did in that moment as he popped back into his standard appearance while holding up a sheet of paper that showed off his newest score.

"I advanced!" he declared excitedly, while Kaede looked over the report that stated the boy was now at Upper Senior 7th Rank.

The momentary distraction was short-lived, though, as Shippou then immediately plopped himself on top of Inuyasha's head, much to the silently fuming hanyou's chagrin.

"Inuyasha, you've been going into the well once every three days, haven't you?" the kit accused.

That quickly earned the boy being drop-kicked out over the valley below, though Inuyasha knew it wouldn't _really _hurt the child, who as predicted immediately transformed back into his pink balloon form, floating to safety.

"Once every three days?" Kaede asked, surprised. That was a lot more frequently than the 'sometimes' he had admitted to checking it earlier. "What amazing tenacity." she stated in compliment, not wanting Inuyasha to think she was mocking him for refusing to accept the truth of the matter.

He passed her a look over his shoulder that silently told her he appreciated her reaction to the news, but also that the conversation was over, and with that, he turned and headed silently back up the hill the way he'd come. That was all right with Kaede, though, since she'd been pretty much done picking herbs by that point, anyway. Basket in hand, she headed downhill back into the village, her own thoughts wandering.

_Once every three days_... she repeated in her head, truly baffled. _Even so, they can't see each other_...

Shifting her burden, she nodded a silent greeting to the bowing couple she passed along her way, her thoughts five hundred years into the future as she remembered the young girl who possessed her sister's face, and who had become like a granddaughter to her.

_Kagome appeared with the Shikon no Tama, and disappeared with it as well_.

Turning around and gazing back up the hill, Inuyasha's form staring up into the clouds was visible to her in the distance, as the hanyou hadn't yet disappeared beyond the ridge towards the shrine.

_Kagome came here to vanquish the Shikon no Tama_... she thought, feeling sorry for Inuyasha. _Her purpose in this world_ _is likely over_.

Continuing on her way, she knew she couldn't dwell on such thoughts. They were all reminded of Kagome around this time of year, as this was the time of year when she had departed from their world, but just because it was the anniversary of Kagome's disappearance didn't mean they had to stop what they were doing and mourn her as if she had died. Inuyasha was right; he had returned her home to her family, where the fates had undoubtedly decided she belonged. Otherwise, the Bone-Eater's Well would still be functioning. Kaede could sense the magic in the well; its powers hadn't gone anywhere, and she imagined they never would. The well was _choosing _to remain closed, for whatever reason. She would be tremendously happy for Inuyasha if it were ever to reopen and permit he and Kagome to see each other again, but she was also glad for the boy that, despite frequently checking the well _just in case_, he was at least attempting to move on with his life. To her it didn't really seem like much of one, with no home and no possessions of his own besides his sword and the clothing he wore, but on the other hand, considering the life she knew he'd _used _to live, things had actually improved for him quite dramatically. He did have a place to call his own, now, 'Inuyasha's Forest' rightfully his domain by decree of the entire village, and they were grateful to their inu-youkai protector. He kept their borders oni and bandit free, and theirs was probably the safest, most peaceful village in all of Musashi. And even though he usually chose against it, she knew Inuyasha knew that he _could _go walking through their streets at anytime, and nobody would freak out at his appearance. They'd gotten used to him long ago. Kaede knew that most of the villagers didn't really see Inuyasha as one of them, as another man same as any other, instead seeing and thinking of him as a youkai, but they did not fear or hate him because of it, and for the previously ostracized hanyou the difference was like night and day. For that, she was grateful.

Reaching her destination, Kaede informed Rin that she'd met Inuyasha in the field and had passed along her greeting, and then setting her basket of herbs aside she reached for the used water from the day before and brought it outside to pour out over her vegetable garden before heading with the empty water bucket down to the nearest water well. It was time to get the rest of her day started.


	2. Sometimes Goodbye is a Second Chance

Chapter 2 – Sometimes Goodbye is a Second Chance

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Lying in bed, Kagome stared up at her ceiling, sighing quietly. With her friends starting college in only a few short days, she honestly doubted she'd see very much of them anymore. She would always have a place for Yuka, Eri and Ayumi in her heart, but their lives were traveling in different directions now. Graduating high school had been a goal she'd wanted to achieve, even though it wasn't mandatory, and since college definitely wasn't she'd made the decision long ago not to bother applying anywhere. She was done with school. She was eighteen now, going on nineteen, and the world at large viewed her as an adult. Her childhood responsibilities were over.

"Kagome, dear, breakfast is ready." came her mother's voice from the other side of her closed bedroom door, and Kagome grinned wryly to herself.

_I suppose I'll always be Mama's little girl, no matter what_..._not that that's a bad thing_...

Sighing again, which turned into a yawn followed by a nice good stretch, Kagome decided she'd better get out of bed. Getting dressed in one of her favorite black and white checkered skirts and matching black top, with a white cardigan sweater over it with the top button fastened to keep some of the lingering chill at bay, she made her way downstairs then, ruffling Souta's hair as she came up behind him at the kitchen table.

"Hey!" he protested around the bites of food in his mouth, earning a giggle from his big sister.

"You excited to be starting junior high?" she asked, taking a seat at the table and graciously accepting the plate of breakfast their mother sat before her.

"Thank you." she said to her mother before digging in, smiling and nodding as her brother rattled on about how much he was looking forward to being a junior high school student.

Later, after breakfast, Kagome slipped on a pair of shoes and headed outside to help her grandfather organize some of the items in their shrine's gift shop. She supposed she'd better get used to taking inventory and other such mundane tasks, since that would be her job from now on. She honestly had no motivation to go get a job anywhere else, doing any_thing_ else, and boring or no she was helping her family this way. It was definitely what she wanted to do. Besides it being the right thing to do, helping with the family business rather than going off on her own, she also wanted to stay at the shrine as much as possible for selfish reasons, because she didn't even really _want _to go off on her own; the modern-day hustle and bustle of the world she'd been born into simply no longer appealed to the miko. Yes, she _was _a miko, and even if it'd only be for show, for ceremony, she would become a shrine miko for the Sunset Shrine. Her mother filled the role on rare occasions, for certain holidays, and so now she'd do it too, and tell the tourists all about the legends surrounding their shrine and the Goshinboku.

Picking up and fingering one of the 'Shikon no Tama' good luck key chains they sold in the gift shop she sighed wistfully, put it back in the box with the others, and then grabbed the inventory sheet her grandfather had sat on the counter for her to go over. It'd be hard, speaking about her friends and the adventure she'd lived through as if they were merely legend, but she'd much rather do that, and keep their memories alive in her own heart, than go flip burgers at WcDonald's or something and pretend her adventures in the Sengoku jidai had never even happened.

Noticing his granddaughter's distraction and mood, Mr. Higurashi grabbed something from the box he was going through before putting the box aside and walking up to her.

"Ah, Kagome, I forgot to give you your graduation present!" he declared joyously, holding up a mummified kappa's hand.

Kagome laughed, the reaction he'd been hoping for, as she accepted it graciously.

"Thanks, Jii-chan," she said; "I promise I won't feed this one to Buyo."

"Well I should certainly hope not, that's a priceless artifact!" he stated with faux agitation, mirth twinkling in his eyes. "It has a long history." he added matter-of-factly, for once _not _automatically launching into a tale of said history.

Kagome turned the amphibious paw over a few times in her hands, studying it. It actually _did _look authentic, now that she knew what a kappa's hands actually looked like.

"I sure hope this isn't Jaken; that'd be awkward..." she murmured with a quirk of her lips, before gingerly setting it aside so she could get back to her inventory.

Her grandfather scratched his chin. He supposed a kappa's hand held different meaning when you actually used to _know _a kappa. And while he was grateful for his granddaughter's experience and part in history, proving that the old legends really _were _true and that he wasn't just a crazy old man to believe in things like youkai, he couldn't help but feel sorry for Kagome. Back in the beginning he'd wanted nothing more than to seal the well and protect her from those monsters, but he'd realized soon enough that Inuyasha hadn't been one of the _bad _youkai, and that like it or not the youkai who really _were_ bad were his granddaughter's responsibility. She'd been on a sacred mission; traveling into the past had been her holy duty, to vanquish evil and rid the world of the _real _Shikon no Tama, forever. She was the chosen one. He felt honored to realize his precious granddaughter was somebody deemed so important by the kami themselves, but he also didn't feel she deserved the way things had ended. After such a triumph, to be forced to go on as if nothing had ever happened? To be ripped away from her friends, and somebody who'd meant even _more_ to her than mere friendship?

"If you ever want to talk about it, granddaughter, this old man is just as good at listening to tales as he is at telling them."

Surprised by her grandfather's words, Kagome looked up, her eyes shimmering suspiciously although she blinked and it was gone, no tears falling.

"Arigato, Jii-chan. That...that really means a lot to me."

He nodded, and then turned and got back to work, going through his own box of inventory while Kagome did the same. The next few hours were passed in peaceful silence broken only by the occasional small-talk comment about some piece of merchandise or another. Kagome's grandfather could tell that the teenager's thoughts were still five hundred years away, but her lips were upturned ever so slightly with a wisp of a smile, and that was a vast improvement, he knew, thinking back over the last three years and how utterly miserable the poor girl had been in the beginning. Oh, she'd tried to shove her nose in her books and drown out her misery with her studies, allowing herself no time to think about the past as she concentrated fully on her schoolwork, but he'd still been able to see how sad she was, despite her best efforts to hide it. Now, looking back on all she'd achieved, he did appreciate her work ethic and was proud of her for her accomplishment, but he knew the poor girl was still hurting deep down inside. This separation was worse, in a way, than if Inuyasha had died. In that case, he knew his granddaughter would mourn, but would eventually move on, with help from her mother, bless her heart. He still remembered the pain she'd gone through when his own son had died, but that sad business was behind them now, and life was happy again. For Kagome, though, her friends in the past were not dead, merely locked away from her.

He scratched his head.

_Though, I suppose, in a way they __are__ dead, now_... _Bah, time travel's too complicated for this old man_.

The knowledge that, in a way, everyone had been dead and buried for the last five centuries probably only made everything worse. He supposed it was possible the hanyou boy was still around, although he'd certainly no longer be a boy, and anyway, there was no telling where he was or if he'd ever show himself, assuming he was even still alive. Any youkai still alive had to be deep in hiding, he supposed, and five hundred years was a _long_ time; he probably wouldn't even remember her. If the hanyou _was _still alive and _did _remember, then surely he would have shown himself by now, which was probably yet another reason for Kagome's melancholy, assuming that thought had crossed her mind as well.

Glancing over in his granddaughter's direction, he resisted the urge to sigh out loud.

"Why don't you take a break, Kagome? Your mother should have lunch ready before too much longer." he stated then.

The miko started at the unexpected sound of her grandfather's voice, Kagome having been lost to her own thoughts for the last half hour or so, the silence having been unbroken for at least that long.

"All right, Jii-chan." she agreed, making one final check mark on her paperwork before setting the sheet down and heading outside.

Kagome intended to head into the main house and see if her mother needed any help with lunch, but she paused as she exited the shrine's gift shop, shifting her gaze in the direction of the well-house.

_I've tried the well once a month, every month, for the last three years, and nothing_...

It was like the kami were mocking her, using her as their puppet to do their bidding with no concern to her own feelings on the matter.

_I'm just a plaything to them_... she thought bitterly. _But you can't put a doll back in the box after playing with it so much and expect it to still look brand new; it'll have damage, it'll show the wear and tear of all it's been through_...

Letting her feet be her guide, Kagome suddenly found herself staring at the closed door to the well-house, and glancing at the sign off to the side that explained the legend of the Bone-Eater's Well she couldn't help but think that it needed to be updated. All it talked about was how, hundreds of years ago, the shrine keepers had discovered that if they tossed the remains of slain youkai into the well their bodies, including the bones, would eventually disappear, hence the name. It was believed at that time that a spirit dwelling within the well actually ate the youkai's remains, but now they knew that wasn't the case. That wasn't the case at all.

_I'm lucky Mistress Centipede was the only youkai that regenerated back then_... she thought, remembering the events of her fifteenth birthday. Theoretically, a massive horde of youkai could have woken up, but all the other youkai remains had remained, well, remains. _I guess it's because she's the only one who had already been in possession of the jewel beforehand, and so there was a connection there_...

And speaking of connections, it looked like her connection to the past was closed. She'd tried the well so many times with the same result, and she knew it wasn't just because the jewel was gone, because she no longer had a jewel shard. Yes, there had been that one time early on when it'd seemed like she hadn't been able to get through without a shard, but there were other times when the well had worked just fine without a jewel shard, and looking back on it, she'd realized the whole jewel shard thing at that time had just been a coincidence. She hadn't needed a shard to get through after graduating junior high, after all, when she'd returned on her own right before the final showdown with Naraku. Her powers had even been sealed back then, but the well had decided to let her pass anyway. Probably because even it had known the final battle with Naraku was fast approaching, and that she would be needed. The well's magic was all its own; it decided what it wanted to do, who it wanted to let pass, and the jewel shards had never been what'd made it work, not really. If so then both Shippou and Souta should have been able to pass through the well when they'd tried it, and they hadn't. The time Inuyasha had taken her piece of the jewel and tossed her down the well, to protect her, she hadn't been able to get back through at first not because she didn't have any jewel shards, but because of the tree he'd shoved down the well immediately afterwards, blocking it off. Perhaps his frame of mind had even cast a seal of sorts over the well, with the power of his desire for her to remain away. He _was _a magical being, after all. The well could have heard him, felt his emotions, and had been granting his wish.

Either way, Kagome knew he hadn't taken her piece of the jewel to prevent her from returning; he'd taken her piece of the jewel because if he wanted her to stay forever in the future then he obviously needed to keep her piece of the jewel with him since he'd still been after the jewel himself back then, duh. And yes, she'd been able to sense the jewel shard when Shippou had taken it down into the well with him, but it hadn't really come through into the future, and it hadn't really been what'd enabled her to pass through into the past. It had been an attention grabber, for sure, making her realize how desperately she needed to get back, but it had been her intense desire to get through that had enabled her to in the end, and then suddenly the piece of the jewel had been in her hand because she had been transported into the past. Kagome remembered...it had been right after she'd thought she wanted to see Inuyasha again that the well had let her through. Perhaps his strong desire to keep her away had originally sealed the well, but then _her_ strong desire to return had made the well decide to let her pass again. She supposed it was also possible the jewel's presence had given her a needed power boost with her miko powers still so new and untrained back then – and apparently partly sealed, too – but now, with the seal Magatsuhi had placed on her powers completely lifted, including the original, weaker seal that she'd been born with, Kagome could feel her reiki humming throughout her body. Her miko aura was an almost tangible thing, and she _knew _she had the power to make it through the well all on her own, yet it was still denying her entry. But that was just it, wasn't it? The well's magic wasn't gone, she could feel it. It was literally _denying _her entry. It still functioned, and was choosing not to, but why?

Sliding the well-house door open, Kagome took a few steps inside, standing on the ledge that overlooked the Bone-Eater's Well.

_Three years ago, when I first braved trying the well, I_ ..._I was afraid_... she remembered then, realizing... _I __wanted__ to see Inuyasha again, but I was also afraid of becoming trapped in the past_. _I'd been praying for the well to please let me through, but also, for it to please let me come back home again afterwards_...

At that time, not even sixteen yet, she'd been far too shaken up by the prospect of never seeing her family again, especially after all the hell she'd so recently been through. The idea of never seeing Inuyasha again had been tearing her up inside, but she'd wanted to have her cake and eat it too.

_That's such a stupid expression; of __course__ you'd want to have your cake and eat it too_... _What good is cake you're allowed to have but not eat? _

She snorted at the random thought.

Even so, stupid expression or no, Kagome knew she'd wanted to have it both ways; she'd wanted both Inuyasha and her family at the same time, without being forced to choose between the two worlds, and maybe...maybe that simply wasn't an option anymore. Still, the possibility of getting trapped in the past hadn't prevented her from trying the well, in case it had just been overloaded and had needed time to recuperate before it'd work again, or something. Every month on the first she'd started checking it, always with the same prayer beforehand, for the well to please once again function as it'd used to, as a back and forth portal. At first she'd been rather optimistic, thinking that perhaps it really _was _only that the well needed to rest or recharge or something of the sort, and that one day it would work again. Once it finally became apparent that that wasn't the case, though, she'd been too paranoid to stop trying, because what if, just _what if_, the well actually opened back up one again day, but she'd stopped trying it by that point and never knew it? No...no that _wasn't _an option, and so once a month every month she'd continued to try it, hoping for the best but prepared for the worst.

As she stared at the well in that moment, knowing it wasn't her scheduled time to check it again yet, a possibility she'd never thought of before finally dawned on her.

"I've always begged the well to work as it did before, as a back and forth portal, but what if that's simply not possible anymore?" she asked herself aloud, as if the wind would whisper its secrets.

_Has it really taken me three years to realize_ ..._?_

Heading down the steps that led to the well, she peered down at it, no longer feeling resentment for its failure to comply with her wishes. The reason it hadn't granted her wish was probably because it hadn't been the 'right' wish; she'd learned all about _that _hocus-pocus the hard way.

She snorted again, before sighing, her eyes softening as she gazed at the well with understanding.

_The reason the well won't connect_..._is probably because of my feelings_... she admitted finally.

_When the Bone-Eater's Well disappeared, and I was plunged into that darkness, I was so scared and sad, but I didn't know I had been in that darkness for three days, and that made Mama, Jii-chan, and Souta scared and sad as well_. _I felt terrible, and was so happy to return home_..._and then the well closed_.

Leaning forward and placing her right hand on the edge of the well, she exhaled slowly, closing her eyes and caressing the wood like it was an old and trusty friend; a brave steed who had carried her into battle more times than she could count.

Even though she _had _finally braved trying the well, it had to be her fear that'd been holding her back; she understood that now. Perhaps the well wasn't really trying to be cruel, but if it really _would_ only be a one-way trip, then she knew she hadn't been emotionally prepared for that outcome back then. The well had actually been doing her a favor, then, in not letting her through when she hadn't really been ready for it yet. If it _would _have trapped her in the past she knew she would have freaked out, not about the idea of being in the past in and of itself but simply over the idea of never seeing her family again.

_At that time, I know I wasn't ready to honestly think about having to choose between the two worlds, and that's it, isn't it? I can't seriously expect the well to allow me back and forth passage forever, because how is that fair? What makes me so special that I get to live in two different centuries? I had a mission to fulfill in the past, but I still had to keep up appearances in this world, too, and so that's why I was allowed to go back and forth at that time, not to mention we needed supplies from this time to make our mission easier, but now, the mission is over, school is over, and I __do__ have to choose_...

Thinking back over the last three years, she knew she'd just been going through the motions, forcing herself to cram for her tests for the sake of getting good grades and graduating with honors, but it hadn't really _meant _the same to her as it'd used to. And her family, yes, she loved them with all her heart, but...but most girls her age were moving on, moving out, either getting married or going to college for a future career. It wasn't still a lingering childhood fear of leaving home that was holding her back those days, it was her lack of desire to go out into the world. She didn't want to stay at home and work on the shrine simply for her family's sake; if she were to be _truly _honest with herself, being at the shrine, by the well and the Goshinboku, was the only connection she had left to Inuyasha, and she wanted to stay for _that _reason more than anything else. She could be a little birdie leaving the nest, now; theoretically, she could move away and being away from her mother wouldn't cripple her, she knew, but leaving the shrine? Leaving her last remaining connections to the Sengoku jidai? To Inuyasha? _That_ was not an option.

_Inuyasha_... she thought, peering into the well's depths. _I've thought about you all the time since then_.

Finally, she understood.

_The reason I went to the Sengoku jidai, the reason the Shikon no Tama disappeared and the well stopped connecting_ ...

Yes, yes it all made perfect sense now. She'd had a mission to fulfill, and now that that mission was over, she couldn't just go fluttering off into the past on holiday. It wasn't right, it wasn't natural. The well had to protect the fabric of time. It was a very sacred portal with a very sacred duty, and while she'd had a sacred duty of her own, her mission was over now, and with it, so was the well's.

_What I had to do is done, and now I am forever in my- _..._this world_. _A world without Inuyasha_...

She couldn't think of the future world as her world any longer, she just _couldn't_. Her home was with Inuyasha, and she hadn't been home in three years; it'd just taken her those three years to realize it. Remembering again that other time so long ago when the well had locked her out, and what had made it work again, her thoughts at that time of needing to see Inuyasha again above all else, Kagome knew if she removed all doubt from her heart the well would grant her wish this time, too. She couldn't use it as a back and forth portal anymore, and she accepted that now. That wasn't what she wanted any longer. Finally, she made her decision, closing her eyes and concentrating.

_Inuyasha_..._I want to be with you_.

oooooooooo

Heading to the shrine's gift shop, Mrs. Higurashi poked her head in and grinned as she saw her father-in-law hard at work. "Lunch is ready." she said with a warm smile, before glancing around the room and inquiring, "Where's Kagome?"

Kagome's grandfather had nodded at his daughter-in-law's words about lunch and was already heading out when she inquired about Kagome, and mildly confused, he paused and scratched his head, before asking, "She didn't go inside? I sent her in about twenty minutes ago."

Mrs. Higurashi furrowed her brow, but then glancing around the yard, she immediately noticed an opened door that she knew had been closed before.

"I know where she is." she stated, gesturing to the well-house. "You go on ahead, Otou-san, I'll go get her."

He nodded at that and headed into the main house while Mrs. Higurashi made her way over towards the well-house, pausing in the open doorway to watch with a heavy heart the way her daughter was just standing there, hand on the well, head bowed.

Kagome, unaware of her mother's concerned gaze on her back, snapped her eyes open in surprise as a tingling sensation came from the well and brushed up against her aura. It was nothing she'd ever felt before. She gasped and leaned forward, peering into the well's depths.

That earned Mrs. Higurashi's attention, and concerned, she called her name.

"Kagome, what's wrong?" she asked.

Kagome could hardly speak; she was almost in shock.

"Mama..." she managed, and in an instant her mother was by her side.

Peering into the well herself, Mrs. Higurashi couldn't believe her eyes.

"The sky..." Kagome said slowly, knowing her mother saw it too from the way her arms had tightened around her as soon as she'd gazed into the portal.

What did this mean? The well had never looked like _that_ before. Was it a sign? How much time did she have? Would she lose her one and only opportunity if she dawdled two minutes too long?

"Mama...I'm..."

Choking up with a sob, the miko couldn't speak.

"Kagome..." her mother murmured tenderly, immediately realizing the true gravity of the situation.

Hugging her daughter in a fierce embrace, Mrs. Higurashi cried out loudly, "Otou-san, Souta, the well, hurry!"

"Mama...?" Kagome questioned, and Mrs. Higurashi pulled back, meeting her daughter's eyes.

"You do what you feel you must, Kagome. I've always trusted you to follow what was in your heart, and I'm very proud of you and will always love you."

Brushing Kagome's hair away from her eyes, the two Higurashi women shared a tearful look of understanding. This was it. A few brief seconds later a frantic Souta ran into the well-house, followed shortly by their grandfather, the former asking a bit out of breath, "Okaa-san, what...?"

"It's...it's time..." Kagome managed to explain to the male members of her family. "The well...it's opened for me, it's waiting for me right now, and I don't know how much longer it'll stay open. I...I don't even feel like I have time to pack anything; this is all so sudden."

Kagome's grandfather met her eyes critically, nodding his agreement to what he saw there, reflected in her soul. He headed down the steps, Souta by his side, and wrapped his arms around her. "Have a safe journey, granddaughter, and a happy, prosperous life. Become the legend you were born to be."

Kagome couldn't stop it as a few tears slipped free, tracing their way down her cheeks. As soon as her grandfather released her she was nearly tackled by a sobbing Souta, who murmured into her shoulder how much he'd miss her but also how happy he was for her, knowing that this was what she wanted, and that for her sake, he wanted her to go, go and be happy with the man she loved.

Kagome blushed a little at her brother's bold words, loud enough for everyone to hear, but she knew there was no point denying it, and as she pulled away from his embrace, her face, though tear streaked, was lit with a happiness her family hadn't seen in a very long time.

"I love you all, and I'll never forget you."

"Tell Inuyasha he has our blessing." her mother stated warmly, her grandfather nodding his agreement, and Kagome blushed again, but nodded, smiling even brighter.

"Tell Yuka, Eri and Ayumi the truth; they deserve to know." Kagome stated as she sat on the edge of the well, swinging her legs around so they were dangling inside.

Taking a quick moment to wipe her face with her sleeve, she then turned and looked at her family from over her shoulder to see their sad but smiling faces, the three of them all holding each other as they silently nodded for her to continue. Grinning, she gave a 'victory' sign that earned a small chuckle from Souta, and then she jumped, the blue lights of time immediately engulfing her.

Mrs. Higurashi stepped forward after a moment to peer back down into the well's depths, confirming what she already knew, that it was once again dark and Kagome was gone.

_She's where she belongs_... Mrs. Higurashi thought, a single tear slipping down her cheek as she made her way out of the well-house behind her son and father-in-law.

ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

"Inuyasha! Hey, Inuyasha!" Shippou called, searching for and then spotting the hanyou up in a tree.

Momentarily turning into a squirrel, Shippou scurried up the trunk of the tree the inu-hanyou was lounging in, Inuyasha rolling his eyes at the sight. Deciding to stay put, he waited for the youngster to reach him to find out what was so damn important.

Reaching the hanyou, Shippou leapt away from the tree trunk, bouncing off of Inuyasha's head to land in his lap, popping back into his standard kitsune appearance.

"There you are!" he stated exasperatedly, as if he'd been searching for him all over.

"Yup, here I am." Inuyasha replied sarcastically, uncrossing his arms to rub the top of his head in an obvious show of displeasure with the kitsune's chosen method of arrival. "What do you want, Shippou?"

"Sango and Miroku asked me to find you; they said to tell you they want you to come by for lunch."

He sent the hanyou a pleading look.

"It's Mizuki and Misaki..." he elaborated. "When I showed up this morning to let them know I'm back, the girls started asking for you. You're their favorite, you know. I tried to turn into you once, but it didn't fool them for a second. I can hide my youki to feel human, but I can't duplicate the feeling of yours; they could sense I wasn't you and yanked on my tail, calling me 'Bad Shippou' for trying to fool them. My tail still hurts just thinking about it."

Inuyasha chuckled a bit at that, shaking his head in amusement. It'd been apparent since almost day one that the girls had inherited their father's spiritual powers. So had their baby brother, in fact.

"Keh, ain't got no qualms 'bout a free lunch." he said then, grabbing a hold of Shippou before leaping out of the tree, the kit prepared for the maneuver and not startled by it.

When they landed Inuyasha immediately let go of the kitsune, Shippou unceremoniously dropping to the ground. Grumbling about it under his breath, he quickly bounced back up onto Inuyasha's shoulder, and rolling his eyes again, the hanyou left him there as he headed west through the trees and village proper towards Sango and Miroku's house, doing his best to ignore the almost awestruck looks he got from the few farmers he passed along the way, nodding his head only a small amount in return to all their deep bows.

Fortunately he didn't have too far to go, the couple's hut built relatively near Kaede's hut, although it was thankfully not _so _close that he could hear their goings-on from the elderly miko's dwelling, for the occasional drizzly nights he actually stayed with the miko while in hanyou form. That'd be awkward. He did _not_ want to listen in as those two worked on expanding their family. It was bad enough that he sometimes inadvertently overheard the occasional young couple sneaking off into the woods for some privacy, but when they were strangers he at least didn't have to worry about looking them in their faces the next day. He shook his head a little at the memory of Sango and Miroku's first month together as a married couple, and the number of times _they'd _snuck out into the woods while their house was being built. They had done their best to go into a different part of the forest than where they knew he liked to hangout, but that didn't mean he hadn't been aware of what they were doing. He wasn't sure if he was disgusted by the thought, or amused. It was yet another reason why he greatly preferred staying with the miko whenever he needed a roof over his head, because even though he knew his friends obviously wouldn't 'do' anything with him in the house, he could still _smell _the evidence of their previous activities. He'd prefer smelling _that _as infrequently as possible, and besides...he was sure they appreciated not having their nights 'interrupted' by his presence.

They were young and healthy and still acted like newly weds, not that he could really say he blamed them, and while he wanted to give the couple their privacy as much as possible, it was honestly more for their own sake than because of his discomfort. He wasn't so disturbed by the lingering scent of sex that he couldn't even stand to be in their house, after all, and an invitation for lunch was definitely not something he'd turn down, even if he was perfectly capable of feeding himself. They might fuck like rabbits every child-free opportunity they got, but they were still his friends. In fact, he'd actually agreed to help Shippou babysit from time to time just so they could have some 'alone' time when they needed it, _because _they were his friends.

Arriving at the monk and slayer's dwelling, Inuyasha braced himself as twin two-year-olds immediately tackled his legs, sitting on his feet and forcing him to walk very carefully into the house as they held on for the ride, tight fistfuls of fire-rat hakama preventing them from falling off. Openly laughing at the sight, Shippou bounded off the hanyou's shoulder and scurried on all fours towards where Sango was stirring the rice over the firepit. He tried to make a grab for one of the vegetable skewers cooking off to the side, but immediately had his hand swatted by the cooking chopsticks for his troubles.

"Nice try, Shippou, but I've had lots of practice fending off would-be snack stealers." the taijiya stated with a critical eye. Glancing at the struggling hanyou barely out of the entryway, Sango chuckled at the sight and said, "Girls, let Inuyasha come in, lunch will be ready soon."

"Awww..." the twins whined simultaneously, while Inuyasha tried to hide his amusement at both their reaction and Shippou's reprimand.

Disappointedly, the girls dismounted their hanyou steed, and then stepping up onto the raised wooden floor and setting Tessaiga aside before settling down by the fire, Inuyasha sat in his traditional cross-legged position, trying not to laugh as Mizuki and Misaki both mirrored him, sitting on either side of him cross-legged as well.

"Now now, we've discussed how proper ladies are supposed to sit..." came Miroku's voice as he entered the house and slipped off his sandals before stepping up onto the raised wooden floor to join the rest of his family.

Sighing overdramatically, the two-year-olds shifted themselves until they were sitting properly on their legs.

As if sensing how much attention his big sisters were suddenly getting and feeling jealous over it, little Ichirou started fussing in that moment, and Miroku volunteered to serve up the rice and skewers for his wife while Sango tended to the baby's needs. Sending her husband a grateful look, she scooped Ichirou up and began nursing him.

Inuyasha was unfazed by the sight, used to it at that point. It wasn't even like he could _see_ anything, Sango very skilled with the way she handled loosening her yukata _just _enough, but he'd still turned bright red the first time the slayer had done so in his presence, after the girls were born. Miroku had teased him about it for weeks.

"Keh, boy knows it's eatin' time. Good to get him on the right schedule." he commented then, as he accepted his lunch from the houshi.

"Now if only he could learn when sleeping time was." Shippou grumbled under his breath, earning a chuckle from the slayer.

Unlike Inuyasha, Shippou felt drawn to the family atmosphere and greatly preferred the company of Miroku, Sango and the kids to Kaede and Rin, and so he almost always stayed with them whenever he was back in town in between excursions to the Kitsune Inn. He'd known enough to give the newly married couple their privacy in the very beginning, of course, but once they'd announced Sango was expecting, and they'd seen the unmistakable sparkle in Shippou's eyes at the thought of a new baby, they'd actually been the ones who'd told the kitsune that they didn't mind him staying with them when he was in town if that was where he'd rather be.

He had actually been a blessing in disguise for the couple, because even though he was a child he understood fully about adult things, and so he had no qualms with them kicking him out for a few hours from time to time when they wanted to be 'alone', and after the girls were old enough, he'd actually been the one who'd first volunteered to give the couple their opportunities to be alone, even in a non-sexual way but just to simply enjoy some peace and quiet for a while, by using his kitsune magic to watch the babies for one or two hour intervals. Of course, Inuyasha had supervised those occasions, but it'd been Shippou wearing Sango's face who had changed the twins and rocked them back to sleep when the moment had called for it. He loved those little girls. But now, it seemed even a chirping insect was enough to set the new baby off in the middle of the night; Shippou didn't remember the girls being such light sleepers when they were that age.

Everything got quiet as the group began eating, aside from Miroku complimenting his wife's cooking, a sentiment Inuyasha seconded with a softly murmured "Keh."

After they were done eating and Sango washed the dishes, she announced that there was dry laundry outside that needed to be collected and brought in, inviting Inuyasha to hang around if he wanted because they certainly appreciated his company.

"Especially since you help Miroku with his exorcisms." she said. "I feel like we owe you so much, since you never accept any payment, so stay, and let me feed you dinner tonight as well. We have plenty of rice, and I feel like rightfully, half of it's yours. That job you guys did last month will keep us fed for a long time; there's plenty to share."

"Keh, if you wanna feed me I ain't gonna complain, but I don't need no payment besides food. What do I need with coins?"

He was referring to the occasions when Miroku had been paid for their services with actual money instead of rice or other goods. Money always worked for the houshi; there were several things at the market that one needed actual money to purchase.

"Even so, I have a large purse of coins set aside for you, should you ever change your mind. It is your fair share of the earnings and I will not spend it on myself." Miroku declared as he assisted Sango with strapping Ichirou onto her back.

Inuyasha snorted.

"Since when are you so honest?" he jibed, slipping Tessaiga back through his obi before following the others outside and around to the back of the house where the clothesline was.

Miroku pretended to look hurt.

"Inuyasha, have I ever cheated my friends?"

"Let me think..."

The monk laughed.

"I'll answer your question. It was my idea to save your coins." Sango stated as they reached the clothesline and she sat her basket down before making a grab for the first article hanging up.

"Now that makes more sense." Inuyasha agreed, plopping down and immediately getting tackled by the twins.

"Yay, Uncle Inu!" Mizuki said.

"Inu-Oji!" Misaki chimed in, both of the girls squirming to get into his lap.

Sending a glare at the snickering kitsune, as Shippou tried and failed to hide his amusement, Inuyasha crossed his arms within his sleeves and let the twins climb all over him as if he were a mountain to be conquered. Without any assistance from him, after a few minutes they both managed to get up onto his shoulders; he knew what they were after.

"Uncle Doggy!" Mizuki said. "Doggy! Doggy!"

"Fun ears!" Misaki stated, giving his right ear a tweak as Mizuki reached for his left.

Why they were both so fascinated with his ears he'd never understand; he only hoped they'd eventually grow out of it.

Shippou was no help, openly laughing now. "You're a toy." the kitsune stated, sounding _way _too pleased with himself.

"Doggy!" Mizuki said again, giving another tug.

_Okay, that's it_ ...

"Hey, do something about the twins." he griped, irked that his 'so-called' friends were just letting it go on. He could hear their quiet chuckling, even over the girls yanking on his ears.

"Not the ears, kids." Miroku stated then, amusement in his voice.

"Sorry, Inuyasha." Sango added, sounding at least partially genuinely apologetic.

He was just about to open his mouth with a retort when an unexpected scent on the wind caught his attention.

_It_..._it can't be_...

Tilting his head back and taking a deep breath, his heart started pounding in his chest. It was a scent he hadn't gotten a good whiff of in years, but he'd know it anywhere. It'd faded from her sleeping bag and backpack long ago, but there was no question, no doubt in his mind...

Quickly uncrossing his arms and grabbing both girls by their robes, he pawned them off on Shippou. Brat deserved it anyway for the way he'd been laughing.

"Go slay the kitsune." he stated before rising to his feet, a determined look in his eyes.

"Hey, Inuyasha, what's this all of a sudden?!" Shippou complained, but he didn't get a response.

"Shippou!" Mizuki said.

"Slay!" Misaki added, the girls unfazed by Inuyasha's treatment of them as they pinned Shippou down.

Sango and Miroku both glanced over to see what was going on, but Inuyasha was long gone.

"He went that way." Shippou stated, pointing northeast towards Inuyasha's Forest as he managed to wiggle out from underneath the twins.

"Do you suppose there's a threatening youkai nearby?" Sango asked, sounding worried.

"I don't sense any encroaching demonic auras, but we'd better go check it out." Miroku stated.

Inuyasha had heard the beginning of their conversation but quickly got out of earshot as he raced through the village and back into his forest as nothing more than a red blur.

_Kagome's scent_..._?! _

It could only mean one thing, and the pounding of his heart only increased as his nose led him right to the Bone-Eater's Well.

Standing at the well, he could hear somebody shuffling around inside, even over the rushing of his blood in his ears. A quiet gasp from within the well kicked him into gear and he leaned over it, reaching his hand inside.


	3. There's no place like home

Chapter 3 – There's no place like home

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As soon as the blue lights of time faded and Kagome found herself standing in the bottom of the well, blue sky overhead, a tremendous feeling of excitement mixed with trepidation mixed with relief rushed through her. It was a strange, conflicting sensation, to be so nervous and overjoyed at the same time, but she'd been gone for three years and she knew she shouldn't get her hopes up. She had absolutely no idea what to expect.

Even so, she was _home _now, and one thing she did know was that the village would welcome her back with open arms. She was sure Kaede would take her in, provided the elderly miko was still in good health, but even if, heaven forbid, she...wasn't an option, then Kagome knew the village headman would help her figure things out if nobody else was still around. That was her fallback plan, if it turned out her friends had all moved on, although she was pretty sure Sango and Miroku had had plans to settle down within the village, and hopefully, provided they _were_ still there, then Inuyasha would still be, also. On the one hand she wanted to believe that _of course _Inuyasha would still be around. Why would he leave? But on the other hand, three years was a long time. What if staying near the well had been too painful for him? She knew her questions wouldn't get answered just standing around at the bottom of the well, though, and so she quickly nodded to herself in determination in that moment, as she started the daunting task of climbing out of the ancient time portal this one, final time.

_It's a good thing I've stayed in practice_... she mused, maneuvering her hands into what she knew were the best places to grip.

Suddenly, though, her senses were almost overwhelmed by a sensation she hadn't felt in a long time: a rapidly approaching demonic aura. She slipped in her surprise, gasping softly.

_I'd hoped he'd still be around, but I hadn't expected to be greeted at the well like this!_ she thought with a huge wave of relief as a shadow fell over her, and she looked up, grinning broadly, as Inuyasha stuck his hand down into the well for her to grab.

Grab it she did, and he immediately hoisted her out. Placing her left hand on his right shoulder for balance, Kagome stood for a moment on the lip of the well, her right foot propped on the edge, Inuyasha's left hand on her right side for extra support. Wordlessly, they gazed into each other's eyes, and their faces were so close together Kagome felt the sudden urge to kiss him. She wasn't quite brave enough to be so bold out of nowhere, though, and so she broke the silence in that moment, instead.

"Inuyasha, I'm sorry...were you waiting...?"

Her voice cracked some as she spoke, and she could feel her eyes tearing up again. For him to rush to the well right as she returned, he'd obviously been near enough to sense her arrival. She was so relieved, so pleased and so _proud _of him, that he hadn't run off into the wild to do kami knew what in her absence.

"Kagome..." he replied then, his tone of voice revealing his awe.

_She's back, she's actually fucking back_... he thought in wonder. If this was a dream, he'd kill whichever dream weaver had sent it to him as soon as he woke up.

Resisting the urge to kiss her, knowing she probably wouldn't mind it but still not feeling quite brave enough to be so brazen out of the blue, he sat her on her feet on the grass in that moment, instead, wrapping his arms around her. She eagerly returned his embrace.

"You idiot..." he murmured softly, the supposed insult having no bite. "What have you been up to?"

Before she could answer, Kagome felt it as Inuyasha stiffened, turning his head to glance over his shoulder, the hanyou's ears picking up the approaching footsteps she couldn't hear yet.

"What is it?" she asked quietly, furrowing her brow at his displeased expression.

_Damn it, can't even give me five fucking minutes_... he thought, frowning.

He couldn't really say he blamed them, though. They loved Kagome _almost _as much as he did.

"We're about to have company." he murmured softly, the look in his eyes strangely regretful. She didn't get a chance to respond.

"Ka...!" came Shippou's broken, shocked exclamation, followed immediately by Sango's voice crying out "Kagome-chan!" in disbelief and amazement.

The miko immediately understood where Inuyasha's shift in mood had come from as their other friends arrived, and a small...very small...part of her was disappointed by the interruption as well. Even so, she was very glad to see their other friends, having strongly suspected they'd settled down based on Inuyasha's appearance but having admittedly not known for sure.

_And they've got kids! Cute! _she squealed in her mind, answering aloud with, "Miroku-sama, Sango-chan, Shippou-chan, I'm back."

The next few minutes were a blur as Sango said they _had _to inform Kaede of her return, and then Kagome and Inuyasha both found themselves ushered by their friends towards the elderly miko's domain. Kagome did her best to answer all of Shippou's questions along the way, and sharing a few stolen glances with the hanyou walking beside her, Inuyasha's eyes held a playful apology for Shippou's antics but also primarily his simple and tremendous _joy_ at seeing her again.

"What took you so long? Did you bring back any ninja food? What have you been doing all this time? Are you here to stay now? Why didn't you come back sooner? Did you bring me any pocky? Do you still have to study for those tests? You're not going to leave again, are you?"

Laughing, Kagome replied with, "I didn't mean to be gone for so long, no I didn't bring any food with me, I mainly spent my time studying so I could finish high school, yes I'm here to stay, the well wouldn't let me come back any sooner, sorry, no pocky, and no, no more studying for anymore tests and I'm not going anywhere."

Inuyasha chuckled a little under his breath as they neared Kaede's house, impressed with Kagome's ability to keep up with the kitsune's interrogation. The runt had asked the most important question, as far as he was concerned, and hearing that Kagome was in fact there to stay, he could just bask in that knowledge without even hearing about what she'd been up to for the last three years, although granted, he _was _curious.

When they reached Kaede's, the elderly miko was just as surprised and ecstatic to see that Kagome had returned as the others had been, especially given the conversation she'd had with Inuyasha that very morning. She and the inu-hanyou shared a brief look, her genuine happiness for him impossible for the hanyou to miss, and he nodded, letting her know just how happy _he _was for _himself_, too.

"Come in, come in, child! This is cause for celebration!" Kaede stated enthusiastically as she gestured for everyone to enter her one-room hut. Inuyasha snickered as they all piled inside, thinking back on Kaede's comment about missing the company. Careful what you wish for.

Shuffling inside with everyone else, Kagome did her best not to feel overwhelmed by the flurry of activity, a task that got a little harder when she was suddenly glomped by an eleven-year-old.

"Kagome-sama!" Rin squealed in delight.

It took the future-born miko a minute to recognize the girl.

"Rin-chan! Is that you?"

Releasing Kagome, Rin nodded enthusiastically.

"I didn't think I'd ever see you again! Rin missed you so much."

Kagome smiled tenderly at the cute mixture of both first and third person, which was how she remembered Rin had spoken in the past. She assumed the girl had picked up the third-person speech from being around Sesshoumaru, who did it a lot in that pompous kind of way aristocrats tended to do. For Sesshoumaru to speak of himself using first-person vernacular in your presence meant that he thought highly enough of you to consider you _not_ as far beneath him as the dirt on his boots; a true compliment, indeed.

_Not that I can recall ever __seeing__ dirt on his boots_... Kagome mentally chuckled.

She'd figured that Mr. High and Mighty would've been long gone now that Naraku was dead, but Rin's presence in the village suggested otherwise. She'd find out more about that later, she supposed. There was a _bunch _of stuff she knew she needed to get caught up on, the most important being the three newest members of the Inu-tachi.

"And who might these lovely ladies be?" Kagome asked her friends then, walking up to Miroku who was still holding the girls. Shippou hadn't let anybody else get a word in edgewise during the walk to Kaede's.

The kitsune jumped down from Miroku's shoulder as the monk bent over to set his daughters back on their feet, introducing them to Kagome at the same time.

"This one is Mizuki..." he began, gesturing to the girl wearing the dark kimono; she waved shyly. "And this lovely lady is Misaki." he elaborated; she hid her face in her father's robes.

Sango chuckled at the younger twin's reaction, and then explained their names to Kagome.

"They were born during dawn, Mizuki arriving while it was mostly still dark out with only the faintest bit of light to the east, and Misaki joining us with the sun, as the flowers were opening, so we figured 'beautiful moon' and 'beautiful blossom' were fitting."

"Well I agree that they're both beautiful." Kagome stated, bending forward enough to meet both girls at only a little above their eye level.

Misaki glanced up at her for a moment before turning and burying her face again, and Mizuki giggled at her sister for a moment, but then hid her face as well when Kagome smiled at her for giggling.

The young miko straightened back up, then, and met Sango's eyes. "They're adorable." Not forgetting about the baby still strapped to Sango's back, Kagome asked next, "And who's this little guy?"

Feeling a little left out all of a sudden, Inuyasha chimed in before anyone else could answer. "Keh, that's Ichirou, and if the bouzu has his way, he _will _be the first of many sons."

Miroku only chuckled, not about to deny it. He then assisted Sango with unstrapping Ichirou, the pair taking a seat as Kaede urged everyone to settle down, stating that she'd put on some tea. Kagome's stomach growled a little as she sat down beside Inuyasha, something she was going to ignore, but the hanyou heard it and his ear twitched as he turned and looked her way with tender concern in his eyes.

"Have you eaten, Kagome? Are you hungry?" he asked.

She blushed a little at the question, mildly embarrassed that her stomach was making such noises against her will. Food had honestly been the last thought on her mind, but... "I actually did kinda skip lunch. This all just happened so suddenly, and eating first wasn't an option."

"Ah, then let me put on some rice for you, Kagome. Won't take but a few minutes."

"Thank you, Kaede-baa-chan."

"Would you like me to go catch you something?" Inuyasha asked the younger miko then. "You should eat more than just rice." he stated matter-of-factly.

Kagome chuckled softly at his conviction, the look in her eyes both genuinely grateful and amused. She was honestly touched by his open show of concern, but found it unnecessarily ardent.

"You can go catch me something for dinner if you want, how's that? I don't want to send you away right now, I just got here." she replied, sending him a playful smirk and wink.

He blushed mildly, but muttered a complacent "Keh."

"So, you must tell us, what happened all of a sudden? We're thrilled to see you, but we hadn't expected your return after all this time." Miroku spoke up in that moment.

Accepting her tea from Kaede, Kagome launched into her story, starting from the beginning and what had happened as soon as Inuyasha had been yanked back down into the well, and how she'd felt at that time. She emphasized her fears, and expressed her realization of how it had most likely been those fears that'd been holding her back. Besides that, she also expressed how graduating high school _had _been important to her, as a goal she'd previously set for herself and something she hadn't wanted to give up on for that reason, not to mention the blemish on her family's honor it would have been for her to drop out after having already been accepted. It would have been a lesser disgrace to simply not go in the first place, since high school _wasn't _mandatory, but just about everybody went, and it basically meant you were a failure if you didn't pass the tests needed to get in. Since she _had _gotten in, even though the only reason they'd accepted her was because they'd had an open seat, to fail after the fact and quit without completing would have been a much bigger disgrace, and something she simply hadn't been prepared to do.

Every time she'd tried the well, wishing and hoping and praying to see them all again, a nasty little voice in the back of her head had spoken up with doubts and fears, all about what if she got trapped in the past. While those fears had primarily been about how she'd feel never seeing her family again after never even getting to say goodbye, she'd also worried about how her family would deal with the school board if that happened, asking them where she'd gone, and how it would've forced her grieving family to lie on her behalf. And what if somebody discovered she was actually _gone? _Sometimes, the paranoia had run away with her and she'd taken the fantasy all the way to a police investigation, and her family getting in trouble with the law because of her 'suspicious' disappearance, although most of the time she'd been rational enough to realize that _that _outcome wouldn't really have happened. Her grandfather would have just called the school up, like he'd gotten used to doing all throughout their mission to slay Naraku, and he would've most likely told them that her health problems had come back and were so severe that they were pulling her out of school. Nobody would've come by to verify it, and her three school friends had already been filled in on the truth of everything, so at least they would've known what had really happened. Even so, it was a possible scenario she had simply _not _been emotionally prepared to deal with back then, getting cut off from that world before finishing high school, before she'd felt adult enough to leave her childhood home and mother behind.

"I've done a lot of growing up over the last three years," she said, "and I realized today that I wasn't afraid to leave home any longer. I realized today that if I really did have to choose, that I'd choose _this _time, with you guys. This place has felt like my _true _home for a long time now, ever since you guys first became so important to me."

She cast a sideways glance Inuyasha's way at her words, blushing mildly as their eyes met, which caused him to blush mildly as well before they both looked away. Miroku and Sango shared an amused, knowing look as the couple across from them did their dance.

_Ah, clearly still in love, even after all this time apart_... Miroku thought.

Inuyasha had admitted his love for Kagome to him, once, but it would be amusing to observe how long it took for the hanyou to admit it to Kagome, herself.

_She'll probably have to be the one that broaches the subject_..._and if she doesn't, then I'll have to have Sango pull her aside for a little talk_.

He would give them a few days to figure things out on their own before interfering, though.

With her own thoughts running along similar lines, Kagome actually _wanted _to admit to the whole group that it'd been Inuyasha, himself, who was the most important person to her, that _he _was the one she hadn't been able to fathom living without, and she was even pretty sure it wouldn't be a surprise to anyone in the room if she said it, but she chickened out at the last minute, to put it bluntly, cursing herself as she looked away. It just didn't feel like the right time, she told herself; she wanted it to be her and Inuyasha alone, just the two of them, when they had that discussion. They shouldn't have to have an audience.

Feeling Miroku's eyes on her after a moment, Kagome glanced the houshi's way and sent him a _'you shut your mouth'_ glare at his knowing look, his position on the matter communicated perfectly.

Inuyasha wasn't paying attention, too busy staring at the far wall, chanting a silent mantra in his head to not make a fool of himself in front of everyone. Noticing Inuyasha's distraction, Kagome cleared her throat and addressed the whole group again, ignoring the elephant in the room for the time being as she continued with her tale.

"Even though I'd been an adult three years ago by this world's standards, my world had still considered me a child, and even though my family had let me come here because they'd known how important it was, I hadn't been old enough to_ permanently _leave home. Now, though, I'm adult, and I've graduated high school. My responsibilities to that world are over. I've fulfilled my obligations, and as such I'm finally free to do what I want. Now, my family won't get in trouble with the authorities for me becoming a 'missing child'; I'm just a grown up daughter who's moved away."

"Perhaps, then, the well did indeed know what it was doing these last three years, preventing you from returning before it was truly time, before you were truly ready." Kaede stated, nodding her agreement to Kagome's hypothesis as she handed the young miko a small bowl of rice and a pair of chopsticks.

Of course, she too knew what had to have been the true driving force behind Kagome's desire to return, but she wouldn't give the young couple any teasing looks like their friends were currently doing. At the first opportunity, she'd have a serious discussion with Kagome.

"Thank you." said eighteen-year-old stated as she accepted the proffered rice, growing quiet for a moment as she began eating, which allowed the others a moment to contemplate things.

Inuyasha watched her eat in silence for a moment, casting glances at the others, who were also watching Kagome with something akin to wonder in their eyes. Except for young Mizuki and Misaki, of course, who were hardly paying the adults any attention, preoccupied with some kind of game they were playing between themselves. Looking back at the young miko sitting beside him, something started nagging at the hanyou in the back of his mind that needed to be addressed.

"Your family...wasn't upset with your decision to come here?" he asked hesitantly.

During her rundown she'd only said how upon making her decision the well had opened for her right then and there, and how she'd told her family a quick goodbye in the well-house before leaping in, too afraid to even pack anything in case the well's offer had only been temporary.

Kagome sighed at his question as she sat her rice down, getting a far off look in her eyes for a brief moment, before glancing his way and offering him a warm smile.

"They were sad to see me go, but encouraged me to come here, knowing it was what I wanted most, knowing that this world is where I belong. They didn't beg me to stay, where I had to be cruel and put my foot down that I was going no matter what. They'd known for a long time that I wasn't happy, and I think...I think they'd probably known that this possibility might happen one day. I'll always love them, and I'm sure at times I'll get sad, missing them more on some days than others, but I will never regret my decision to come here."

"Rin is glad you decided to come back to our world, Kagome-sama. I think this is where you belong, too." Rin said, the eleven-year-old girl the only one out of the loop regarding the young miko's deeper feelings for their hanyou companion.

"Thank you, Rin-chan." Kagome replied, offering the girl a warm smile.

"Rin's not the only one happy that you're back." Shippou spoke up then, sending a very obvious look in Inuyasha's direction.

The hanyou blushed mildly again, but only replied with a quiet "Keh..."

Embarrassed or no, he wasn't about to do something stupid and potentially detrimental to his future like deny his feelings outright, like the old and stupid him would have done in the past.

Finished with her rice, Kagome handed the bowl and chopsticks back to Kaede, who accepted them and put them aside to wash in a few minutes. The future-born miko then turned and glanced Inuyasha's way again, their eyes locking for a moment. Smiling shyly, she leaned into him a little bit, bumping his shoulder with her shoulder. He chuckled under his breath and bumped her back.

"It's good to have ya back, wench." he said then, his eyes sparkling with teasing mirth at the old, previously dreaded nickname.

Kagome didn't mind it in the slightest. In that moment, hearing Inuyasha's voice say _anything _was like a balm on her soul. Looking into each other's eyes for a moment longer, Inuyasha could see the thousands of things swimming in her stormy eyes that she wanted to say, but it wasn't hard to guess why she was holding back. He didn't exactly want to spill his guts in front of the others, either. They'd have to find the opportunity to get some alone time, although he knew it'd be too rude to take her away from the others so soon. As Kagome continued to gaze into his eyes, she could see his thoughts on the matter reflected back in their golden depths, and she knew their silent agreement was understood by the both of them. They had lots they needed to say, but not now. She turned back to address the others, then.

"Now," she said to officially change the subject, clapping her hands together enthusiastically, "it's your turns! I want to hear _everything _I've missed over the last three years."

Choosing not to comment on the moment that had obviously been shared between hanyou and miko, Miroku got things started at her request, launching into his tale of how he'd spoken with the village headman three years prior and had arranged for he and Sango to have a home built for themselves within the village. There had been nowhere else they'd wanted to go, which had worked out perfectly since the local villagers hadn't wanted to _let _them go, either, even going so far as to have Buddhist temple buildings added to the shrine grounds so that Miroku, despite being married to Sango, could also take on the role of monk for the locals who wanted it. He was only too happy to oblige, since he wasn't a farmer and really had no other way to contribute to the village and earn his keep. If they wanted a Buddhist temple and monk to go with it, they got it.

Hearing the monk talk about his and Sango's house, Kagome turned to Inuyasha and asked him, politely and conversationally, trying not to sound too nosy or hopeful, if the villagers had also built _him _a house.

With the miko successfully masking her deeper reason for wanting to know, Inuyasha didn't immediately catch on and merely explained how and why he didn't have a house of his own, explaining how he hadn't felt he really _needed _a house of his own, how he hadn't wanted to press his luck with the locals or especially the hired carpenters from the neighboring villages, and how he still just stayed with Kaede on the rare occasions he needed shelter. The rest of the time he was more than happy to hang around out in the eastern forest that bore his name, and he told her of how the local villagers had even dubbed him their resident forest dwelling youkai protector. The simple fact that nobody feared or hated him those days was far more than he'd ever thought he could ask for, the occasional hunter venturing into the forest sometimes even murmuring a short prayer for his protection against predators, like he was some kind of a kami or something. It was an amazing experience for the hanyou, and he took his role of protector seriously, patrolling their borders often and keeping lower youkai and even mortal predatory animals away. He also told Kagome about his and Miroku's pseudo-career as youkai slayers, the two of them still doing the occasional extermination for anyone in need, but for a price, not that there was anything wrong with that. Miroku _did _have a family to provide for, after all, and even so, even with as much of a swindler as the monk could be at times, he _was _a good man at heart, and never charged anybody more than what he knew they could afford. If somebody in need honestly couldn't afford to pay anything at all then they'd still get rid of the youkai problem, free of charge.

Smiling at her husband at Inuyasha's words, Sango then told Kagome how Kohaku was doing those days, the boy off with Kirara doing his own youkai extermination jobs, training to become a strong taijiya. He came by to let them know how he was doing every once in a while, although he never stayed for very long, his sister's house 'too crowded' for him as he'd teased them once, after the twins were born.

When it was his turn to speak, Shippou also told Kagome all about his regular trips to the Kitsune Inn, studying with the older foxes to get better at his kitsune magic. He'd never used to understand why she had to go away to go take tests at school all the time, but now he understood, he told her then, since even though it was very different in a way, in another way what he did was just like going to school and taking tests.

Rin also chimed in during their conversation and told Kagome of how Sesshoumaru came by every once in a while, so even though he had told her to stay at the village for the time being, he hadn't forgotten about her or abandoned her.

Kagome was glad to hear that, feeling happy for the girl that her lord hadn't turned his back on her, after all, since Rin's admiration for Inuyasha's half-brother was all-too apparent in the young girl's voice. Kagome had also seen for herself just how important Rin had actually seemed to Sesshoumaru back then, even though she hadn't quite understood _why_, and so she'd honestly been surprised upon arriving at Kaede's to see that he'd apparently left the girl behind. She was pleased to learn now that he did still come by from time to time, and not just for Rin's sake, actually. She cast a playful glance in Inuyasha's direction, amusement sparkling in her blue-gray eyes.

"Does this mean you two can finally look at each other without trying to kill each other?" she teased, having always secretly wanted the brothers to get along, for both their sakes. They _were_ family, after all.

He snorted at her sense of humor, amused, and replied boastingly with, "Feh...he's coming into _my _domain, so he knows to behave himself."

Rin giggled behind her hand.

Visiting would have lasted longer, but the twins started getting fussy in that moment, and Ichirou needed to be changed.

"Please join us for dinner this evening, Kagome-chan," Sango said then, as she and Miroku both rose to excuse themselves for the time being; "Inuyasha was already invited, and the more the merrier."

"I'd be delighted." the future-born miko replied, smiling as Miroku picked up their daughters, Ichirou held in Sango's arms, as the family began heading for the door.

"Keh, that's if we can keep word of her return under wraps, otherwise the headman will probably want to throw a feast in her honor." Inuyasha said, his tone of voice only mildly perturbed by the notion, and not the least bit sarcastic.

"You make a good point, my friend." Miroku agreed from his place in the doorway. "Let's tell Haruto-sama the good news tomorrow, then, after we've had a chance to have Kagome-sama all to ourselves for a while longer."

He sent the hanyou a wink at his words, earning reddened cheeks in response, although Inuyasha didn't offer a verbal retort or deny his desire to do just that.

The exchange didn't go unnoticed by Kagome, of course, who chuckled a little under her breath and shook her head in amusement at Miroku's antics, sharing a brief, knowing look with Sango before the group was finally out the door and on their way.

"Keh, nosy bastard..." Inuyasha grumbled then, earning a louder giggle from Kagome that time.

"Oh come on, he wouldn't be Miroku-sama if he didn't tease like he does. You know he only does it because he knows it'll get a rise out of you."

Inuyasha couldn't deny that, and he stared at Kagome in wonder again for a moment, simply trying to take in the fact that she was actually there, that she'd actually come back to him- them. She'd actually come back to _them_.

_Keh, gone for three years but she can still make such a comment and be right; she knows me so well, and Miroku too, for that matter_... _Hell, she knows all of us, and that's why she came back; this __is__ her home, and we're all her family_.

Of course, the thought of 'Kagome' and 'family' together had the hanyou blushing again and quickly looking away to hide it. Now he wished he would've let Miroku talk him into seeing if the villagers wouldn't have minded building him a house, after all. Although, on the other hand, he didn't know if he'd have really been able to be so bold as to offer her a place to stay with him in his own personal home even if he _had _had one. Miroku would have teased him until his face turned a permanent shade of red, for one thing, probably causing him to blow up and say something stupid that would have ruined his chances with the miko and defeated the purpose of her staying with him like that, anyway.

Besides, he shouldn't really allow himself to think such thoughts until he heard it from Kagome herself that she still felt that way about him. Three years was a long time, and he knew feelings could change, and even though the fact that she'd given up _everything _to come back to their world did tend to suggest there had been something _very _important that'd caused her to make such a decision, she hadn't said as much in her explanation. She'd only told them that she'd been miserable in her world, and that she'd missed it there, in their century, and that she'd missed all of them and that they'd _all _been so important to her that she hadn't been able to handle the thought of never seeing them again. Sure, he _thought _the little glances he and the miko had shared throughout her story had meant what he'd hoped they meant, but he still wanted to make sure, first, before risking making a total fool of himself. If it turned out all she actually wanted from him anymore was friendship, well, that would still be good enough to bring him a sense of contentment. He'd missed her so terribly, and just to have her back in his life, in any capacity, would be a thousand times better than life without her.

Kaede immediately noticed it as Inuyasha's thoughts went off to a place far away, as he'd turned away from Kagome to conceal his reddened cheeks, and she spoke up in that moment, engaging the younger miko so that Inuyasha could be alone to his thoughts without further embarrassment.

"Kagome, I have a few of your things." she said, drawing the future-born miko's attention as expected. "Your pack had been left behind when you disappeared into the meidou, and the bow from Mt. Azusa returned with Inuyasha after he saw you safely to your family."

Hearing his name pulled Inuyasha from his own thoughts, and he turned back just in time to see Kagome's surprised, delighted expression.

"Oh! I'd forgotten all about my bow." she admitted, blushing a little herself that time since she knew how important that bow actually was. "At the time, I'd let go of it at some point while floating in the meidou with Inuyasha, but it'd stayed floating right beside us, and when we suddenly found ourselves in the well-house and my family was right there, I ran out of the well and into Mama's arms without a single thought about the bow. I remembered it later that night, and noticed it was gone, when I'd been in the well-house staring into the well, crying and praying for Inuyasha to return..."

She cast a shy glance Inuyasha's way, blushing mildly at her confession, but he only offered her a reassuring, and somewhat apologetic smile.

"Anyway, that was three years ago, and so coming here now, I'd completely forgotten all about it."

"I _did _try to return to you, Kagome. I tried all the time, but the well wouldn't let me through, either." he explained.

"Well, thank you for returning my bow to Kaede-baa-chan for safe keeping." Kagome said then, meeting Inuyasha's eyes with gratitude, and he scoffed.

"Keh, what was I gonna to do? Chuck it in the river?" His eyes and tone of voice were playful, teasing.

"I suppose not, no..." Kagome agreed, chuckling a little. "And I'm glad my bag is still here, too. I had a small mirror in my backpack, and a hairbrush, toothbrush...a few familiar comforts will help make my transition to living here much easier, I'm sure."

At those words, her eyes widened marginally at her presumption, realizing she hadn't even _asked _Kaede yet if she could stay with her, she'd just been assuming. Although by 'here' in that sentence she'd more or less been referring to their century as a whole, she _did _need a roof over her head, and while she was about 99.9% positive it wouldn't be a problem, she really needed to ask first before just outright presuming. Casting a shy, slightly embarrassed look in Kaede's direction, then, her unasked question was clear to the elderly miko, who chuckled some at the teen's obvious nervousness.

"You are of course welcome to stay here, Kagome, do not even ask." Kaede stated, her good eye reflecting her mirth. "My home is your home, for as long as you wish it."

Kaede sent a knowing look Inuyasha's way at her words, letting him know her home was also _his _for as long as he wished it, too. Bashfully, the hanyou nodded his understanding and agreement, not about to turn down her offer _this _time since there was one very good reason why he should indeed stay with her rather than out in the woods all by himself. Their silent communication was an exchange Kagome missed since the young miko was too busy mentally scolding herself for her own foolishness.

"Thank you, Kaede-baa-chan." she replied then, clearly relieved, her eyes revealing her gratitude.

She hadn't believed it'd be a problem, but even so, she'd hated the fact that her appearance was so presumptuous in and of itself, in a way, forcing somebody to take her in since she was basically homeless. She'd known that _somebody _in the village would undoubtedly take her in, but she hadn't honestly wanted to stay with anybody other than Kaede until she could figure out something more permanent for herself. The elderly miko was like a grandmother to her.

_Of course, if Inuyasha'd had a house of his own I wouldn't have minded staying with __him__, although that might have been too presumptuous, too, in a different way_... she thought, blushing again and turning away from the hanyou so he wouldn't notice, pretending instead to focus on whatever Shippou was saying to Rin in that moment.

Thinking about it, Kagome quickly decided that perhaps it was for the best, after all, that Inuyasha more or less still lived with Kaede and Rin, himself. It was much less likely for her hormones to get the better of her with their elderly chaperone and a small child both in the same room, after all. She _wanted _to be with Inuyasha, and had fantasized about it for years now, but the last thing she wanted to do was to ruin a potential fairytale romance by jumping into bed with the guy right out the gate. Three years was a long time to be apart, and she wanted, no..._needed _to make sure she knew where his heart truly lied. She wanted him, but only if he honestly wanted her in return. She would _not _throw herself at him and risk ruining their friendship. What if he felt so guilty afterwards that he couldn't even look her in the eyes anymore?

_Baby steps_... she told herself then, the silence of the moment having thankfully been filled by Shippou and Rin's chatter, so that she'd been permitted her moment of wandering thoughts unnoticed by the other occupants of the hut.

"May I, Kaede-sama?" Rin asked her guardian then, Shippou having asked Rin if she wanted to go play with him and the other village children, whom he could hear were playing a game out by the paddy fields.

"Aye, Rin, you're finished with your chores for the time being, and Inuyasha is not presently away with Houshi-dono; go and have fun." Kaede answered, passing an expectant look Inuyasha's way.

He nodded his response and rose to his feet, holding a hand out for the mildly confused Kagome as Shippou and Rin both eagerly dashed outside.

"Come on," he said to the future-born miko as he helped her to her feet, explaining, "I always keep an eye on Rin whenever she's out playing. Sesshoumaru would have my ass if anything happened to her, so Kaede only lets her go off with the other kids when I'm in town, just in case. A skinned knee ain't no big deal; I don't coddle the girl, just keep a sharp look out for potential threats."

"Ah, right." Kagome stated in understanding, then, waving a quick goodbye to Kaede as she followed the hanyou outside.

It was sudden and unexpected, but the perfect opportunity to be alone with him, and since he hadn't even _asked _her if she wanted to stay and get settled in with Kaede or go with him, automatically acting like her place was by his side, Kagome wasn't about to show any hesitation regarding her desire to follow him anywhere. By his side was exactly where she wanted to be.


	4. The more things change

Chapter 4 – The more things change...

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Walking beside Inuyasha as they headed out of Kaede's hut and across the road, past the neighboring houses, Kagome was silent as they attempted to pass by unnoticed, Kaede's neighbors fortunately all still indoors, finishing up their own lunches. A contented smile was on the miko's lips as they strolled on by uninterrupted, a smile that grew larger the closer they got to the treeline. Perhaps it'd been a bit presumptuous on Inuyasha's part this time around, she reflected, his assumption that she'd automatically want to go with him, but he'd presumed correctly and so keeping in time with his steps, Kagome wore a huge grin by the time they entered the forest. _His _forest.

She didn't even care that they weren't actually following after Shippou and Rin, who'd taken off down the main road through town, straight for the paddy fields. Inuyasha seemed to read her thoughts though as he caught the way she glanced briefly in their direction before continuing to follow him along the beaten path that led straight for the well and Goshinboku.

"There's a reason we're going this way..." he said. "I wasn't kidding about wantin' to keep your arrival as much of a secret as possible for the time being, so the fewer villagers that see you, the better. I can already hear the rumors spreading, 'cause some of 'em noticed it when we rushed you to Kaede's, but if the headman sees you then there'll be no getting out of a feast tonight so I don't wanna pass his compound on the way to the paddy fields. We can circle around to where the kids are playin' through the trees, instead, hopefully staying out of sight."

"Sounds good to me." Kagome agreed, and she meant it.

After the flurry of activity that had been just getting reacquainted with her few closest friends, she wasn't sure she wanted to even think about what kind of a celebration the village headman would put together once he learned she'd come back to them. Probably close to the entire village would show up to greet her. She supposed it couldn't be avoided forever, though, and decided in that moment to just focus on the here and now. The here and now being about five hundred years earlier than where she'd started out that very morning.

_Thank you, Bone-Eater's Well_... she thought as they neared the well's clearing, before turning and heading southeast, keeping to the trees as they neared where the southbound curve of the river fed the paddy fields.

The walk was peaceful, the silence between them not awkward in the slightest. A few times Kagome thought of something to say to break the silence, but decided against it because the moment was already perfect. She was walking beside the man she loved, in the forest that was his domain, on a beautiful early spring afternoon. Taking in the tranquility of the moment, Kagome hadn't felt nearly as happy over the last three years as she did right then in that moment, and she suspected, from the few glances she noticed her companion casting in her direction, that Inuyasha felt the same way.

Reaching over, she took his hand in hers, and he glanced her way in mild surprise but then immediately smiled, and closed his fingers around her hand as well, giving it a little squeeze. They continued their walk in silence, hand in hand.

It didn't take long before the miko's mortal ears picked up the laughing, squealing cries of children at play, and the sound quickly pulled her from her wandering thoughts. Nearing the paddy fields Inuyasha released her hand, and peering through the greenery she saw them, a group of young boys kicking a ball around. Shippou and Rin were among them, the kitsune doing a few tricks per some of the children's requests, earning laughter and applause. A few girls around Rin's age had early spring flowers in their hair, and were pointing eagerly, showing Rin where they'd found them growing, and then Rin went off with those girls, sitting down not too far away from the younger children as she began picking some of the flowers for herself. Not long after she got to work on what Kagome assumed would be a crown of flowers the ball some of the boys were kicking around rolled over in her direction, and Rin didn't hesitate to pick it up and throw it back to the others, but then she immediately got back to braiding her flowers.

"She sure does love flowers." Kagome commented with a smile, earning a soft chuckle from the hanyou on her left.

Inuyasha had been enjoying the silence, but only because he hadn't been able to think of anything to say, everything coming to mind sounding stupid to him and so he'd decided against it, not wanting to risk ruining the tranquility of the moment by saying something stupid that would've then made things awkward. Hearing Kagome speak in that moment, though, he used it as the opportunity it was to reply, quickly deciding he'd let Kagome lead their conversation.

"Yeah, she's always been like that. She's even started showing Mizuki and Misaki how to make flower crowns."

Kagome sighed whimsically as she watched the eleven-year-old hard at work.

"I used to make them, too, when I was little."

Inuyasha chuckled again.

"I bet you were a real cute kid." he said quietly, earning Kagome's attention as she turned to look his way. He turned his head to look her way as well and their eyes immediately locked, the look in hers so full of love he was wondering how he ever could have worried that her feelings for him had changed.

He opened his mouth to say something else, but she beat him to it.

"Inuyasha, I-" she started, before an especially loud scream coming from one of the children startled her and she snapped her eyes back to the kids, worried.

It was just a young boy completely enthralled with Shippou's ability to turn into his giant pink balloon form.

"I really missed you, Kagome." Inuyasha managed to say, then, earning the miko's eyes back on him. She smiled.

"I really missed you, too. I thought about you every day, and even though I didn't tell the others how often I tried the well, the truth is, I tried it once a month." She didn't blush or look away at her admittance.

He chuckled again.

"I got you beat. Shippou will probably let it slip at some point, anyway, like he already did this morning with Kaede-babaa, so you might as well hear it from me. I've been trying the well every three days."

Kagome's eyes widened at his words, and began tearing up, much to Inuyasha's surprise and mild horror.

"Shit, don't cry, Kagome..." he pleaded, his eyes begging as he reached up with his right hand and used the back of his right index finger to carefully wipe away the single tear that rolled down her left cheek. "It's all right," he assured her gently, "I'm just glad you're back now. I didn't think I'd ever see you again."

"Oh, Inuyasha..." she said, reaching up with her left hand to touch her cheek for a moment, touched by the tenderness of his gesture. "I'm _so_ sorry. Sorry that my stupid childish fears kept the well closed. I didn't know-"

"Baka..." he interrupted affectionately, glancing in Rin's direction again for a brief moment just to make sure all was well before meeting Kagome's eyes again. "I was right there as you explained it, and what you said made perfect sense. I might not have really understood _why _your school stuff was so important, but I understood that it _was_, and that it was a matter of honor. If you'd been ripped away from that before you were ready? Ripped away from your _family _without even saying _goodbye?_ No..."

He shook his head, gazed back out over the children again, and continued to speak with his eyes remaining fixated on Rin's form. "Kagome, you have absolutely nothing to apologize for, and I won't accept it. You gave up _everything_ to come here. I won't forget that."

He took a deep breath, exhaling slowly, and turned his head to the right just enough to shift his eyes enough to meet her gaze again.

"You don't know what it means to me, that you actually chose to come back..."

"I think I do." Kagome replied, smiling up at him softly.

Unhesitantly, he immediately wrapped his arms around her and pulled her into a hug, resting his chin on the top of her head, inhaling the scent of her hair. Kagome sighed at the action, feeling completely content in his embrace as she wrapped her arms around him in return. She could stay like that forever.

He had other plans, though.

"Brace yourself." he warned after a moment, and feeling her muscles tense up in preparation, he launched the two of them straight up and into the tree they'd been standing beside, coming to rest on a sturdy branch.

After some light maneuvering, Inuyasha had Kagome sitting with her legs curled up in his lap, leaning back with her back against his chest, his back against the truck, their spot a perfect vantage point for both of them to keep an eye on the children below, hopefully without being seen by any of the nearby farmers. An arm wrapped around her stomach kept Kagome secure so she wouldn't fall, although the miko suspected that was just an excuse to hold her, but either way she wasn't about to complain as she snuggled into his embrace as much as she dared.

"This is nice." she murmured tenderly.

"Yeah..." he replied, wanting to say something more but again deciding against it. He just wasn't used to spilling his guts; it was something he'd have to work on.

They sat like that in silence for the next several minutes, Kagome marveling at the fantastic view while Inuyasha marveled at the feel of Kagome in his arms, the scent of her filling his nose. He wasn't privy to the miko's naughtier thoughts, unaware of how tempted she'd been for a fleeting moment to 'accidentally' rub against him in a _bad _way as she got herself settled, before she'd quickly slapped that thought out of her head and made herself behave, but if he had known the direction her thoughts had momentarily traveled he would've only chuckled at how good minds think alike, as he willed a certain part of his body to _not_ react to the feel of her pressed up against him. He'd have to take a cold dip in the river later that night, that was for sure.

_First we've got dinner with the bouzu and slayer_... he remembered then, mentally sighing. It was going to be a long night.

Soon enough, though, he managed to tug the remaining parts of his mind back out of the gutter, focusing instead on the playing children below, like he was _supposed _to be doing. Most specifically, the eleven-year-old who was now wearing a fairly impressive flower crown as she sang and danced with some of the other girls, while Shippou and the boys continued to kick the ball around. All good things had to come to an end, though, and as the various village children all started to disperse at their parents' calls Shippou and Rin headed back to Kaede's. Wrapping his arms tightly around Kagome – something he closed his eyes and savored for as long as he thought he could get away with it – Inuyasha dropped the two of them back out of the tree, and they then made their way back to Kaede's the way they'd come, through the forest.

"See ya later, Rin! Bye Kaede!" Shippou said as soon as he walked Rin back to Kaede's hut, turning and scurrying along to Sango and Miroku's house.

_I hope he appreciates me giving them that time to themselves_... the kitsune thought smugly, having previously not cared about the other playing children what with Kagome's return and all, but then having gotten the brilliant idea that him wanting to take Rin out to play would be the perfect excuse to get Inuyasha and Kagome alone, away from Kaede for a while. Just because he was still just a kid himself didn't mean he was _stupid_.

Kagome and Inuyasha arrived back at Kaede's just in time for Kagome to notice Shippou's departure, and glancing Inuyasha's way questioningly, he explained how the kitsune had always preferred staying with Sango and Miroku.

"Probably 'cause I prefer staying with Kaede-babaa, and he knows that he'll get on my nerves if we're together too long." the hanyou added with a chuckle.

"I would have thought you'd prefer staying with Sango-chan and Miroku-sama, too." Kagome said as they entered Kaede's hut and Kagome slipped off her shoes before they stepped up onto the raised wooden floor, heading towards their favored side of the room while Rin enthusiastically showed the cooking Kaede her crown of flowers.

Inuyasha snorted as Kagome took a seat near the fire. "Why would I wanna shack up with newlyweds?"

She laughed at that.

"I suppose you do have a point there." she agreed.

"So you two shall be dining with the others this evening, correct?" Kaede asked with an amused grin as she glanced in their direction from her place adding ingredients to the soup.

"Yeah, just make enough for you 'n' Rin, we're good." Inuyasha said as he pulled Tessaiga from his obi and leaned it against the wall before sitting down beside Kagome. "Thanks, though." he added, getting settled and glancing the younger miko's way, only to pause at the look she was giving him.

"What?" he asked, only mildly flustered by the future-born miko's obvious approving look since at least their other friends weren't there to poke fun at him about it in that moment.

"Nothing," she replied teasingly; "I'm just surprised. I don't think I've ever heard you actually thank Kaede-baa-chan for anything before."

He snorted.

"Can't a guy choose to be nice to the ol' hag that guards his human ass once a month?" he asked with a playfully defensive tone to mask his embarrassment.

Rin looked up at his words, her eyes wide with surprise and worry, but Inuyasha waved off her concern.

"Kagome was actually the first to know, Rin. It's all right."

He and Kaede had drilled it into the girl how the moonless night was a secret he did _not _want the entire village finding out about. Even Miroku and Sango's children wouldn't be told until they were old enough to keep the secret.

As Kaede continued dinner preparations for Rin and herself, Kagome took it upon herself, with Kaede's permission of course, to go dig through her old belongings inside the storage chest the elderly miko had tucked them away within in the back of the room. Grinning as she spotted her sleeping bag at the bottom of the chest, she left that be for the time being, and taking a deep breath, she pulled out her backpack.

Inuyasha watched, unsure of how to feel, as Kagome, sitting on her legs, delicately ran her hands over the old yellow backpack in her lap before finally, slowly zipping it open, as if it were a sacred artifact containing treasures untold. One treasure it was noticeably lacking, of course, was any of her old schoolbooks, since she'd actually graduated from junior high right before the final showdown with Naraku. Primarily all she'd brought back with her on that final trip had been an extra load of medical supplies, knowing things were going to be getting dangerous, although a few fundamental necessities had always remained in the bag throughout their entire mission no matter what other items came and went. Because of that, she now had among her various possessions her utility pocket knife, a small metal nail file, a compact pocket mirror, a hairbrush, a toothbrush, a razor, a couple changes of underwear which would actually come in _very _handy, a nearly full box of waterproof matches, which she probably wouldn't need but you never knew, plenty of first aid supplies of course, which she _hoped _she wouldn't need but again, you never knew, and perhaps the least essential at the time of fighting Naraku but she was sure glad to see them now, some pajamas.

Shaking her head at herself in bemusement, Kagome remembered her thought process at the time, that after they defeated the dark hanyou and they were all curled up around the firepit in Kaede's hut resting and/or recovering, she'd wanted to make sure she'd have something comfortable to change into. She supposed that did make sense, and now, she didn't have to worry about adjusting to wearing a sleeping yukata. Or at least, not just yet. She supposed she'd _eventually _have to ditch the pajamas, but if she took good care of them the material should last for several years, and even when they did eventually start to fall apart she could use the pieces as a pattern to make new ones.

_Provided I learn how to sew_..._which, I suppose, I will definitely have to do, come to think of it_...

There were a lot of things she was going to have to learn how to do when it came to adjusting to life in the Sengoku jidai, she knew, but she wasn't going to freak herself out about it now by thinking of them all as daunting challenges to overcome. Instead, learning each new life skill would be an adventure, and she'd tackle learning them head-on.

_And one at a time_..._no sense making myself crazy_...

Nodding to herself, Kagome folded her pajamas properly and sat them aside, since she'd be needing them later. She was going to handle living in the Warring States era one day at a time, and for tonight, she was just going to bask in the knowledge that she'd successfully made it through the well, and try not to think about what life in the village long-term had in store for her. What would or wouldn't become of her life one, five, and even ten years down the road was a worry for one, five, and ten years down the road. She knew where she _wanted _her life to end up, but before she could really start daydreaming about the details she and Inuyasha would need to have a very serious, and very _private _conversation. She'd wanted to broach the subject while up in that tree with him, and for a moment she'd been tempted to, but then she'd decided against it, since she hadn't wanted to distract him while he was supposed to be babysitting Rin.

_Admit it, you chickened out_..._coward_... she scolded herself. Frowning at the thought, she got back to digging around in her bag.

As Inuyasha observed her quietly from his place sitting cross-legged against the wall, he wanted to ask her what was wrong as he noticed the sour expression cross her visage, but they weren't completely alone and he just couldn't bring himself to fully lower his guard with Rin and Kaede in the same room. With Kagome, if it were just the two of them, with no distractions like needing to keep an eye on Rin while she played with the other kids, then he'd kick his walls down so fast and yank her inside their perimeter she wouldn't know what'd hit her, and then suddenly there she'd be, right beside his unprotected heart, hers to do with as she pleased. But he could only do that for her if they were _completely_ alone, no risk of getting interrupted.

_Keh_..._I should just grab her and run off into the forest_. _Doubt she'd complain_...

He mulled the idea over, but ultimately chickened out. He didn't want to risk coming off too overly aggressive. What if she got the wrong idea? He'd never live it down! The last thing he wanted was to seem like some brainless brute, a caveman manhandling her and grunting 'mine' as he made off with her like a barbarian. He just wanted to talk. Well, okay, maybe a little manhandling and grunting would be nice, too, but later, _after _their talk.

_Gah!_ _I've been hanging around the bouzu too long_... he thought then in self-disgust, shaking his head to hopefully rid it of such nonsense.

"Don't forget about your bow." he said then for something to say, needing to break the silence because he didn't trust his thoughts to not wander off into no man's land again if left unchecked.

Running her thumb gently over the bar of soap in her hand, having been quietly contemplating just how one went about making their own soap in the Sengoku jidai and wondering exactly what it was made from, Kagome was pulled from her musings as Inuyasha spoke, and she looked his way, eyes sparkling.

"Ah, right!" she said, dropping the soap back into its zippered sandwich bag before putting it back into her backpack.

Setting the pack aside and standing up, she looked her old weapon up and down, the bow from Mt. Azusa propped innocently against the wall in the corner, right beside the storage chest.

_You chose to come back with Inuyasha, didn't you? Waiting patiently for my return all this time_...

Wrapping her fingers around the bow, Kagome jerked in surprise as a jolt of power rushed through her. It was a blast of reiki the other occupants of the hut could not ignore; even Rin felt something odd.

"What was that?" the girl asked, although her question went ignored as Inuyasha immediately rushed to Kagome's side.

"Are you all right?" he asked her, his worry apparent in his tone of voice and the look in his eyes. Even Kaede was giving her a concerned look from her place by the firepit.

"I think...I think that was just the bow saying hello." Kagome answered then, holding the weapon out in front of her, examining it. "I never knew how much spiritual power this bow contained before; I guess I couldn't feel it because of Magatsuhi's seal, the first one I mean, the one from birth that hindered but didn't completely block my powers. As soon as Magatsuhi was slain I could feel my powers rushing back to me, _all _of them, but at the time everything was too crazy for me to realize what was my own power versus the bow itself. It'd taken both of us to defeat Naraku, after all; the bow and I, we'd fought as one."

"So now that all of the seals on your powers have been lifted, you can feel the bow's true power, as well as your own?" the elderly miko asked, intrigued.

"Oh yes, ever since Magatsuhi's seals were broken I haven't lost my ability to use my powers. They're very much alive and well."

Kagome demonstrated her point in that moment by closing her eyes and concentrating, and a bright purplish pink glow started to form around both her and the bow in her hand. The feel of her reiki was so intense that for a split second Inuyasha flinched, starting to back away on instinct before he stopped himself, confident that her powers wouldn't hurt him, that she wouldn't _let _them hurt him. He stared at her in awe.

_When did she become so freakin' powerful?! _

He hadn't noticed it before; apparently, Kagome could flare her powers at will, like a stronger youkai could do. Sure, he'd felt her reiki when she'd first returned, but he did remember the feel of her aura right after Magatsuhi's death; he'd already known the seal on her powers had been broken. He hadn't known she was quite _this _powerful, though. Apparently, what he'd felt from her all this time since her return was just her power _at rest_; that was a scary thought...for their _enemies_. Grinning broadly, he'd never felt more proud of her.

"Damn, wench, remind me not to get on your bad side." he joked to break the ice, wearing a smug grin of satisfaction, and opening her eyes, Kagome's power immediately receded back within herself.

"Wow, Kagome-sama is very powerful." Rin complimented as well from her place sitting beside Kaede.

"I agree, child, that was quite impressive."

Kagome looked over at Kaede and Rin, before glancing back at the nodding hanyou standing beside her, a confident smile forming on her lips at everyone's praise.

"Thanks." she replied to everyone, clearly proud of herself, and rightfully so.

Gingerly setting her bow back in the corner, then, Kagome knelt back down before the storage chest and pulled her sleeping bag out, before then setting her backpack back inside the chest and closing the lid, placing her rolled up sleeping bag and folded pajamas on top of the chest for easy access later before then rising back to her feet.

"I'll need to get a new quiver." she said, thinking out loud. "That, I'd been wearing when I ran out of the well in my time, and I left it in my closet in my room."

"Keh, not a problem." Inuyasha replied before Kaede could say anything. "I've actually got some money, since Miroku and Sango insist on saving my half of the coins he and I collect on the occasional extermination jobs that pay us with actual money. Never did ask him to or figured I'd need it for anything, but now I'm glad he saved my money. Next Market Day's in four days, and we'd already been plannin' on going; you can come with us and order your new quiver, my treat."

Kagome sent him a huge smile at his offer, and grinning to herself, Kaede nodded approvingly at Inuyasha's idea as well.

"A splendid solution, Inuyasha." the elderly miko complimented, before turning to address the eighteen-year-old. "And I will have Akio-sama begin production of new arrowheads. Do you still remember how to make arrows, Kagome?" she asked.

The future-born miko nodded, still smiling.

"With as many times as I sat by our campfire making them during the quest?" she asked back, shaking her head at the fond memory. "Might take me a minute to get the hang of it since I haven't done it in three years, but yeah, I still remember how."

Kaede nodded. With that settled, she told Rin to go wash up since dinner would be ready before too much longer.

"Inuyasha, thank you _so _much for offering to buy my new quiver. That's so nice of you." Kagome stated in true appreciation, before Kaede's words about dinner almost being ready drew her attention. "Guess that's our cue." she said then. "Speaking of Miroku-sama and Sango-chan..."

"Yeah," Inuyasha agreed, "I guess we'd better head over there."

Following Inuyasha to the doorway, Kagome paused and looked back Kaede's way one last time as she slipped her shoes back on. "Thank you again, Kaede-baa-chan, for letting me stay here. I'll make sure not to come back too late."

"Do not fret, Kagome. This old woman sleeps soundly." Kaede answered, sending the pair a smile.

Kagome nodded her understanding, and grinning Inuyasha's way, they were out the door.

oooooooooo

The walk to Sango and Miroku's house from Kaede's didn't take very long, and fortunately, since it was around dinnertime for the entire village, they didn't pass anybody as they made the short trek southwest down the main road to the first westbound cutoff, headed for the first house built on the right. Kagome remembered the area, and how it'd previously been empty field, the next house down originally the first house along that particular stretch of road. It was a good place to build.

About to make a casual comment to that effect, Kagome noticed her companion's serious demeanor and decided to let it go. Inuyasha's ears were fixed forward, his attention on a couple of people in their yard a few houses down that he could hear expressing their wonderment at Kagome's form walking beside him, questioning each other on if what they were seeing was real. Hearing the way they went on about it, he rolled his eyes.

_Tomorrow's going to be crazy_... he realized, sighing. Hopefully the monk's neighbors would at least let them have dinner in peace.

"Something wrong?" Kagome asked at the sound of his sigh.

"Keh, just nosy neighbors. Don't worry 'bout it." he answered honestly, casting her a sideways grin as he allowed the tension to flow out of him, deciding to take his own advice and not worry about what would or wouldn't happen later on and instead focus solely on the here and now. Kagome was back. Nothing could dampen his mood _too _much.

Said miko nodded her understanding at his words, sending the hanyou a grin of her own as they approached the monk and slayer's house.

Raising her hand to knock on the door frame, Miroku's voice calling out "Come in!" sounded before she could even knock, and chuckling to herself that she supposed her and Inuyasha's auras combined were louder to the houshi than any doorbell, she pulled the reed mat aside and entered, holding it open for Inuyasha to enter behind her.

"Doggy!" Mizuki squealed in delight right away, running up to them, Misaki quick to follow. "Inu play!" the younger twin said, holding her arms out for Inuyasha to pick her up.

Inuyasha groaned under his breath, and Kagome chuckled.

"Not now, girls, it's almost time for dinner." Sango said, saving the day.

"Come in, sit down..." Miroku said from his place sitting beside his wife near the firepit, holding an alert and curious Ichirou in his arms while Sango worked on dinner's finishing touches.

Inuyasha didn't hesitate to step up onto the raised wooden floor, and slipping off her shoes Kagome was quick to follow, hiding her smirk behind her hand at the openly giggling twins as they walked with Inuyasha, almost underfoot. As soon as he took a seat they both climbed into his lap, although this time they refrained from reaching for his ears.

"Girls..." Miroku said in a calm but yet equally threatening tone, and with duel cries of "Awwwww..." in disappointment they climbed back out of Inuyasha's lap and took a seat on the other side of the firepit.

Kagome looked Inuyasha's way with laughing eyes, the mildly blushing hanyou meeting her gaze with a sheepish grin.

"What can I say?" he asked, shrugging. "The girls are crazy about me, for some odd reason."

"It's not odd. They have good taste." Kagome replied, earning a darkened rosy hue on the hanyou's cheeks as he quietly mumbled an embarrassed "Keh" under his breath.

Thinking to spare him any further embarrassment, although she thought it was ridiculously adorable how much Sango and Miroku's daughters loved to cling to him, Kagome decided to change the subject and was just about to ask where Shippou was, but the kitsune beat her to it in that moment as he suddenly entered the hut, water bucket in hand.

"Thank you, Shippou." Sango said appreciatively, as she began serving up dinner.

Miroku graciously accepted his tray of fish stew and rice after gently setting Ichirou down on his tummy on the cushion beside him, and he waited before beginning to eat as Sango then served Inuyasha and Kagome, Shippou and their daughters.

"Thank you." Kagome stated genuinely, picking up her bowl of stew and inhaling the fabulous aroma of the broth.

"Thought you were gonna go hunt something for Kagome." Shippou said to Inuyasha in a teasing tone, causing the hanyou to look up from his food with a glare sent the kitsune's way. Before he could say anything, though, Kagome beat him to it.

"I had only said in passing that he could go catch something if he wanted to, Shippou-chan, but that was before Sango-chan told me we were invited here for dinner tonight. There will be plenty of opportunities to go hunting, I'm sure."

"Keh, you want meat so bad, go get it yourself. You're plenty old enough to catch your own game." Inuyasha grumbled as he began eating his rice, letting the stew cool a minute.

Shippou opened his mouth to retort, but then Inuyasha got a twinkle of inspiration in his eye and spoke back up again, cutting Shippou off.

"Some of the villagers already know about Kagome's return, and there ain't no way the headman won't want to throw a feast. I'll talk to him 'bout it in the morning before doing my rounds, and take down a deer if he agrees. I'm gettin' kinda bored of small game, anyway. It's the perfect excuse to kill something much larger."

After the words left his mouth his eyes opened wider in realization of what, exactly, he'd just said, and he cast a nervous glance in Kagome's direction, afraid he might've just stuck his foot in his mouth big time.

Shifting his eyes back and forth between hanyou and miko, Shippou decided to stay quiet and see what would happen, also hoping the hanyou hadn't just blown it.

Kagome, of course, immediately noticed Inuyasha and Shippou's worried expressions, and realizing what Inuyasha was probably fearing, she quickly put his mind at ease.

"I'm not the same naïve fifteen-year-old I used to be, Inuyasha," she assured him, "who couldn't stand the thought of innocent animals having to die for me to eat, who insisted you come back to camp with the rabbits you caught already skinned and gutted so I wouldn't have to see them looking like 'cute little bunnies.'

Finishing her sentence with air quotes, it was a gesture he didn't understand the origin of, but the gesture itself was still understood, as he vividly recalled the one and only time he'd come back to camp, back when it'd still been just the two of them, with a whole and intact dead rabbit in his grasp. She had freaked, to put it mildly, which at the time had upset him, of course. Here he was trying to provide her with something to eat, and instead of being grateful she'd gotten upset.

Kagome continued, remembering that same incident.

"It was a lesson I learned long ago, while eating a hamburger at WcDonald's. It doesn't matter how fresh the meat is. _Meat_ equals _animal_, no matter what, and realizing this, I didn't become a vegetarian. I think, so long as we bless the deer's spirit, then we're honoring its life and its sacrifice. It's the circle of life, plain and simple, and genetically speaking, humans are designed to eat meat. If we were also designed by the kami, then the way I see it, it's the kami's will that we are meat eaters, and who am I to argue with the kami?"

Honestly, Kagome didn't care either way and could just as easily go without the meat, but she could see how important the idea was to Inuyasha, and if he wanted to provide meat for her, then she was definitely not going to turn down his offer or insult his desire to do so. Even though she didn't personally think it was necessary, it _was _appreciated, and she would gladly eat whatever he caught for her, to make sure he knew just how appreciated it really was.

Inuyasha noticeably sagged in relief at her words, which let her know she'd definitely made the right call. He sent her a grateful nod and smile, which she returned, and then he got back to his food.

He'd really been worried that Kagome would take offense to his desire to use her return as an excuse to kill something, but the fact of the matter was, it wasn't about the kill, it was about the actual meat, and the desire to provide good meat for her was something he simply couldn't ignore. If it hadn't been for Sango inviting them to dinner that night then he _would _have went out and caught something for Kagome to eat. He knew it was his canine half, an inu-youkai's need to provide for their loved ones, but so what? He didn't feel he should try and ignore his inu-youkai instincts when it came to such things. Besides, it wasn't _just _his youkai half. Knowing the world she'd come from, and everything she'd given up in order to return to them, his human half wanted to provide for her, too. He knew that in the world she'd come from good meat was always available at those giant indoor never-ending markets any time you wanted it. Just say the word and it was yours. He wanted, no..._needed_ to show her that he could give her that as well.

"Well I think it's a fabulous idea." Sango spoke up in that moment, earning a grateful smile from the hanyou. Being a taijiya, she knew very well how important it was to Inuyasha, and why.

He wasn't stupid; he knew that humans also needed other foods, like rice and vegetables, but as Sango had pointed out earlier, she considered half of their rice really his, anyway, since he'd helped Miroku to earn it. That meant that at least in part, this was _his _rice Kagome was eating. Now, he wasn't about to go and demand his half, in reality, intending on letting Miroku and Sango keep it all, especially since he didn't have any place to put his share, anyway, but the fact that he'd helped earn it certainly made him feel better about Kagome eating it in that moment. He also wasn't as stubborn as he'd used to be, and knew damn well that he didn't have his own vegetables, so if Sango and Miroku, or Kaede, had to help him keep Kagome properly fed in that regard, then so be it. They were his friends, after all, so he didn't take offense, as if them fixing Kagome a meal was insinuating he was incapable, or a failure. They were all in this together; they were _family_. He didn't take their offers of feeding _him _as an insult, as if they believed he wasn't capable of feeding himself. He knew they knew he was perfectly able, which was why he wasn't about to turn down a free meal; that'd just be rude. So as long as he could provide Kagome with good meat then he was at least doing his part. His meat, and their vegetables. She'd given up everything to be with them; he was damn well going to make sure she was well fed.

Picking a piece of fish out of his stew with his chopsticks, Miroku didn't comment during the exchange, as everyone resumed eating their dinner in silence. He supposed he should have found the topic disturbing, in a way, but instead all he could think was that he agreed with his wife, it was an excellent idea. Anything that went along the lines of Inuyasha showing his affection for Kagome was a good thing, in his mind, and providing her with meat...that was the inu-youkai version of showering your sweetheart with beautiful gifts, he knew, and he was relieved Kagome had so readily accepted his offer, knowing that rejection would have hurt Inuyasha dearly.

He'd found himself in that same predicament once, the first time Inuyasha had hunted something for their group after he'd first joined them, but at that time he'd quickly banished the thought of rejecting his offer, and to be perfectly honest it hadn't had so much to do with sparing the hanyou's feelings, either. He'd been _hungry_. Granted, monks were supposed to be vegetarians, but he'd long ago gotten used to breaking that rule while out on his own hunting Naraku, even prior to joining Kagome and Inuyasha, and after joining them, he'd always eaten whatever Inuyasha had caught for them without complaint. Even when they'd had Kagome's ramen he'd known that either chicken or beef was an ingredient in the broth, and he'd never said a word. Plucking out and eating another piece of fish in that moment, Miroku quirked his lip in amusement. Monks weren't really supposed to eat fish, either, but Sango had wanted it, and he wasn't about to condemn his wife's viewpoint on such things, even though he knew it made him _very_ unorthodox. But so did being married in the first place, and he wouldn't trade his family for the world. He'd give up being a monk before he'd give up being Sango's husband, and in fact he hadn't necessarily been planning on acting like a monk to the local villagers to begin with, but they were the ones who had insisted, and so then he'd been happy to oblige. Otherwise, he would have been just as content to keep his robes for exorcism jobs, only, and be a normal husband and father in his home town.

Doing what he and Inuyasha did, sure, it was a little deceiving as he was sure most people were unaware of his wife and kids back home, but honestly, what did that matter? He was legitimately helping people, purifying real youkai that had been causing real problems; so what if he had a wife and kids to go home to? He already knew he had more lifetimes to go before achieving enlightenment; he'd given up _that _path when he'd first begun his quest to slay Naraku. Revenge and vengeance, no matter against how great an evil, was an unholy desire to hold in one's heart. But he'd given up his chance at enlightenment this time around for the greater good, in his opinion, because Naraku had _needed _to be stopped, and it had been his duty, as his grandfather's descendant, to participate in stopping him. Now, Miroku felt that enjoying the rest of his days with Sango and their children was his reward, before starting the struggle all over again. He'd become a vegetarian in his next life.

"More tea?" Sango offered in that moment, pulling Miroku from his thoughts, and nodding with a warm smile, Miroku held up his teacup for his wife to refill.

She then refilled Kagome's tea, and their daughters', Shippou and Inuyasha both politely declining.

The rest of the meal was finished in silence, and then after they were all done eating, the twins occupied themselves with their toys while the adults sat back and got comfortable, Sango and Miroku taking turns telling Kagome a few stories of things that'd happened while she'd been gone. Inuyasha chimed in a few times, too, like when Sango told Kagome about how, after she'd gotten pregnant, he had informed them before the girls were born that she'd be having twins, so they'd had some time to panic, and then prepare, as the slayer jokingly explained it. He'd been able to hear the girls' separate heartbeats, Inuyasha elaborated upon Kagome's inquisitive glance.

"Keh, my nose is good but not _that _good." he said. "I can tell by scent when a woman's carrying, but not how many or what gender it is."

"I had actually been afraid Miroku was disappointed when the girls were born, having thought he'd hoped they'd be sons." Sango admitted softly, glancing at their quietly playing daughters in the corner of the room.

"Nonsense." Miroku commented, sending his wife a fond smile. "I plan on having many more sons _and _daughters with you; the more the merrier."

Sango sent her husband a loving smile in return, and then blushed and smacked his arm as he waggled his eyebrows at her lecherously before adding, "Making them is so much fun, they can all be girls from here on out and I wouldn't mind it one bit."

Inuyasha rolled his eyes, but glanced Kagome's way in surprise when the miko just laughed instead of taking offense at his lewdness.

"I bet your first two were girls for karmic balance, Miroku-sama..." she teased, explaining, "With as much of a flirt as you used to be? Now you'll get to experience what it's like being the protective father, fending off boys like _you _when they come of age,and with _two _girls' honors to defend."

Inuyasha and Shippou both openly laughed at Kagome's prophecy while Miroku adopted a mock look of horror, and Sango hid her snicker behind her hand before moving to pick up the increasingly fussy Ichirou, the baby having rolled over onto his back before whining, ready for his own dinner.

"I dare say, husband, that Kagome-chan makes a valid point." Sango stated as she loosened her yukata enough to start nursing their son. "Don't think the same thought hasn't crossed my own mind."

"Or mine." Inuyasha agreed, sending Kagome a playful smirk that the miko returned.

"Or mine, I'm afraid." Miroku admitted then. "Even so, it is a penance I will gladly pay, to have been blessed with such lovely daughters."

Sango sent him another warm smile at that, her look indicating he was back in her good graces again.

"Feh, kiss ass." Inuyasha grumbled good-naturedly, earning a quiet giggle from the miko at his side, which caused another smirk to form on his lips as he glanced her way again.

Observing the playful little glances hanyou and miko kept casting at each other, Shippou mentally rolled his eyes, but chose to bite his tongue. A part of him was tempted to throw caution to the wind and blurt out how they all knew they were in love with each other and that they needed to just kiss already, but he knew it would only embarrass them, and probably hinder their progress more than help it. He believed those two were meant to be together just as much as everyone else did, so he didn't want to risk doing anything that would inadvertently hurt their chances. He'd continue to nudge Inuyasha, but subtly, in a way that wouldn't publicly humiliate Kagome in the process. He remembered how angry she used to get whenever she got embarrassed; he did _not _want her anger directed at _him_.

Keeping that thought in mind, Shippou joined the conversation harmlessly, peppering in amusing anecdotes involving his various excursions to the Kitsune Inn. Tales of the various random travelers he'd fooled one way or another, and the amount of points it'd gotten him.

Once Sango was done feeding Ichirou, it became apparent the little one was ready for bed, and the twins were no longer playing with their stick dolls very enthusiastically, either, their eyelids growing heavy.

"I think it's probably about time we headed back to Kaede-baa-chan's for the night." Kagome said then, glancing Inuyasha's way, not wanting to seem rude by overstaying their welcome and putting their friends in the awkward position of actually having to ask them to leave.

"I'm afraid it looks that way." Miroku agreed as he watched Sango put Ichiro down before tending to their sleepy daughters.

He rose to his feet, as did Kagome and Inuyasha.

"Perhaps we need to follow the young ones' examples, because I have a feeling tomorrow is going to be quite the day." he added.

"Keh, don't remind me." Inuyasha grumbled in reply, although his expression wasn't all that displeased. All the hanyou could actually focus on in that moment was the thought of getting to sleep in the same room as Kagome, of getting to smell her lovely scent all night long. He liked their other friends, but he was actually eager to get out of there now that things were winding down.

"We'll talk tomorrow, Kagome-chan." Sango said as she sat back down with her daughters and started removing the ties from Mizuki's hair, brushing it out, while Misaki sat next to her sister quietly waiting her turn.

"Definitely." Kagome agreed with a huge grin and wave sent Sango's way. The twins both drowsily waved back, murmuring goodbyes to the 'pretty lady' and 'uncle doggy' as miko and hanyou exited the hut.

"Goodnight, Kagome..." Shippou said as he walked the pair out, watching them leave from the doorway.

"She came back for _you_, you know. It's obvious. Don't screw it up." Shippou added far too quietly for anyone other than the hanyou to hear.

Inuyasha had been glancing Kagome's way with a pleasant smile on his lips, but at Shippou's words he flushed darkly and quickly looked away, grumbling something under his breath about nosy fucking foxes who needed to mind their own damn business.

Hearing his grumbling but not making everything out, Kagome asked him what was wrong.

"Nothin'..." he mumbled in answer a bit louder than his original grumbling had been, clearly flustered, and it wasn't hard for the miko to guess that Shippou had obviously said _something _she hadn't heard.

"Shippou-chan only teases because he knows it'll affect you, too. Whatever he said, don't worry about it." Kagome said then, flashing Inuyasha a brilliant smile, and he immediately relaxed, lost again in the simple pleasure and wonderment that was being in her presence, as she walked beside him on their way back to Kaede's.


	5. Can you feel the love tonight?

Chapter 5 – Can you feel the love tonight?

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The rest of the walk back to Kaede's house was peacefully quiet, but as they neared the elderly miko's dwelling Inuyasha found himself not yet ready to relinquish having Kagome all to himself.

"Do you...uh...wanna take a walk for a while?" he asked her shyly, and Kagome couldn't help the tender smile that curved her lips. Inuyasha was acting like a nervous teenager walking her home after their first date.

In a way, that was kind of how she felt, too. After all, although she wasn't _fifteen _any longer, she was still a teenager, and this was the first night they'd ever shared together without the threat of Naraku and need to purify the jewel hanging over their heads. They'd each had the last three years to adjust to a calmer, Naraku and jewel-free life, but they'd been years apart. Now, they were together, and would be, for the rest of their lives, in _whatever _capacity he would have her.

_Hopefully he wants the same thing I do, but even if he doesn't, I'll never regret my decision to come here_... she thought, knowing in her heart that even a lifetime of Inuyasha as her best friend would be a thousand times better than life in a world without Inuyasha.

"I'd love to." she answered then, her eyes honest, and smiling in reply, Inuyasha nodded before gesturing for her to follow him up the shrine steps.

Reaching the top of the stone staircase, it didn't take Kagome long to notice the added buildings; the entire place was much more built up than she remembered it.

"Oh wow, it's so weird seeing things from this side of history..." she commented in wonder as she stopped to take in the temple's appearance for a moment, explaining at Inuyasha's inquisitive look, "I wasn't surprised when Miroku-sama said this temple had been built. It's actually written in my family shrine's history that at one point it was a jigu-ji, a 'shrine-temple', so I'd already known it would happen, but it's just neat seeing it in person. It had to be changed in the nineteenth century when they made the law separating Buddhism and Shintoism, so all jigu-ji had to disassemble their temples and go back to being only shrines, which is why it's just a Shinto shrine in my family's time. According to the legend of the Shikon no Tama, which I'd always _used _to think was just a fairytale, the addition of the Buddhist temple happened shortly after the jewel's destruction, although the details got lost to the ages. I read up on the legends over the last three years, searching for clues as to what might have become of you guys, how you lived out the rest of your lives, but the stories are so vague."

"No legend about the mysterious girl who came through the well?" Inuyasha asked, his words half playful, half genuinely curious.

Kagome shook her head.

"Not unless Jii-chan kept those scrolls hidden from me my whole life, and secretly my family's known my fate all along but never told me for fear of altering history. I'll never know if that's the case or not, but nothing I found tucked away in the storage buildings spoke about my traveling here or our mission. Only a vague reference to the final showdown, that the jewel grew so powerful in its evil it nearly destroyed the world until the 'Shikon Miko' finally destroyed _it_ with the right wish. But Kikyou is also called the Shikon Miko in the legends, and so is Midoriko-sama, so with different women getting the same title throughout the years it makes it harder to tell who's who or what's what."

Thinking about it a moment, Kagome said, "I guess it makes sense, though, since the villagers don't really understand exactly where I came from or what all happened while we were out there fighting Naraku, that not too many details about me or our mission would get put into the legends. I certainly don't want to detail it all out for somebody to find in the future, because that would put the well at risk, and the entire timeline for that matter. What if somebody a generation or two before my grandfather saw those scrolls explaining how the well was a time portal, and out of fear had it destroyed? The more I think about it, the more it makes total sense that it was deliberately left out of the history books, for the greater good. The story about you being pinned to the Goshinboku, that already got written into the village's history fifty years ago, so that explains why _that _part of the legend survived in so much detail. I'm not about to go ask the headman to erase that part, either. _That _would alter history, too, since that part of the story is supposed to survive to my family's time."

Inuyasha nodded at that, deciding everything she said made perfect sense. He'd already known that the story about how he'd been pinned to the tree was a legend that had survived to her century. One thing confused him, though.

"Hey, how come you talk about this shrine like it's the same one as yours in the future, even though your family shrine is over there...?" he asked, pointing east, towards the well and Goshinboku.

"Oh, shrines often move from time to time, not really designed to be in the same place indefinitely. Newer, updated buildings will get built beside the older ones instead of the old ones getting torn down first to use the same foundation. It'd probably be natural for it to have shifted that much over five hundred years, all by itself, although I have my suspicions it'll make the jump in only one or two moves, all things considered."

She adopted a whimsical expression, and chuckled softly, before shaking her head and continuing.

"There isn't much information that I came across about the shrine's relocation, although since in my family's century there's a also small shrine building around the Bone-Eater's Well itself, and the Goshinboku is also fenced off as holy, I guess the locals decided to relocate the main shrine over there at some point, probably because of you and me and our legend, yeah."

She thought about it a moment longer, finger on her chin, and added, "Since most of this area is all built up, what's the village right now all getting completely destroyed and paved over to make way for modern Tokyo, the river underground and everything, maybe at _some _point this whole area was holy, this shrine still here, but the well and Goshinboku also sacred over there, and then when the wrecking crews came through they condensed the protected, holy ground, so that the rest of the area could get cleared away and built up."

Inuyasha shrugged, remembering well what the world looked like in Kagome's time, although looking at the peaceful forest around them in that moment it seemed almost impossible to fathom.

"I guess like the bouzu would say, everything happens how it was meant to."

Kagome nodded to that, deciding there was no truer expression.

Inuyasha adopted an amused look as a random thought came to mind, earning the miko's curiosity, and gesturing to the temple additions from where they stood, he told her, "Miroku and Kaede prayed together to the local kami for a sign if this would displease him, building a temple right next to his shrine, and right in that moment fucking Shippou appeared out of nowhere, the runt having apparently been hiding and listening. Get this..." he told Kagome, chuckling a little under his breath at the memory. "The brat told Miroku he'd make an offering to the future temple site, and held up a small Jizo statue, handing it to the bouzu."

"He didn't..." Kagome snickered with a hand over her mouth, remembering that particular statue well.

"Oh, he did, and the idiot monk actually accepted Shippou's offer." Inuyasha said, laughing as well. "I saw the whole thing from that tree..." he pointed, "...and bam, as soon as that statue hit the monk's hand it grew and down he went. Shippou slapped his ward on it and Miroku was instantly pinned to the spot. Then a fucking paper appeared in front of Shippou's face and he cheered about his new rank."

"Ahh, that makes sense, then." Kagome said, still chuckling. "I wonder how many points he got for tricking a monk on holy ground."

Inuyasha shrugged.

"Dunno, but it don't matter. After Kaede-babaa was done laughing, she removed the seal and knocked over the statue, which shrank back down, and then Miroku got the kit back at his own game, picking it up with an ofuda so that he could handle it. He thanked Shippou for the donation of a Jizo statue and said Shippou's kind act showing how youkai and humans can get along followed the Buddha's teachings, and that it was the sign he'd needed to know that it was okay to have the temple built here. Shippou's score card disappeared in a puff of smoke and a new one that said 'Fail' appeared and the kit ran off pouting. Miroku _still_ has his Jizo statue, too, in a little carved display box with an ofuda on it so the brat can't touch it. It's in the temple, sitting on a shelf on the back wall next to the Buddha statues I retrieved from that old abandoned temple to the east."

Shaking her head in amusement, Kagome chuckled a little again at the thought of Miroku keeping Shippou's prank Jizo statue, and then what Inuyasha said about the abandoned temple registered.

"Oh yeah, I'd almost forgotten about that old abandoned temple." She shuddered at the memory. "I guess it makes more sense for Miroku-sama to have his temple here, though. That one's probably too far away from the village. It took at least a couple of hours for the bandits to drag me there. Took no time to get back to the village, but that was with you running."

"It's in too bad of shape to fix up, anyway; walls comin' down even worse than just the hole I'd made. Looks like the surviving bandits didn't honor their own with any kind of burial, and scavenger youkai tore the place up when making off with the bodies. I've always ignored the place, but I see it, when doing my rounds. I'd checked, while the temple was being built, if any of those statues were still in one piece, and I dragged 'em here for Miroku once the place was done. Figured it didn't do no good leavin' 'em there, and it saved Miroku from having to buy the same statues."

"That was very nice of you." Kagome said, smiling sincerely.

A light dusting of pink appeared on Inuyasha's cheeks at her praise, but unlike the old him, he didn't try to save face by ad-libbing how he'd only done it to stop Miroku from bitching about wanting the statues, or whatever other excuse he might have given in the past. The truth was, gifting Miroku those statues for the temple had been _his _idea; the houshi hadn't even known they'd existed until Inuyasha had told him. He could do nice things _sometimes_.

"Keh."

Done sightseeing at the shrine-temple they continued on their way, heading northeast through the trees beyond the shrine-temple and around to the right towards the rocky foothills that bordered the village's north end, up towards the small cliff face that overlooked the river below. The part of the river where a certain hanyou had once seen a certain miko bathing, although neither of them chose to comment on the mutually fond memory. Kagome might not have appreciated it back then, no matter how much he'd insisted he was only after the jewel shard, but later on as her feelings for him grew she'd actually found herself hoping he _had _liked what he'd seen, regardless of his original intention for being there.

He had.

Closing his eyes for a second and ordering himself to banish such thoughts from his head, for the time being, at least, they continued their brief trek in silence, Kagome none the wiser. Following the small dirt path that led down to the water's edge, they took a seat in the grass beside one another, Kagome on Inuyasha's right, the sounds of the flowing river and chirping insects providing a nice, tranquil soundtrack to what was quickly becoming the best night of Kagome's life.

_So far_... she thought, mentally crossing her fingers. She wouldn't push things too far too quickly, though. She _wouldn't_.

"It's such a beautiful night." she said then, glancing Inuyasha's way before tilting her head back and gazing up at the stars.

"Yeah..." he agreed, staring at her for a moment, although he quickly looked forward as she looked back down at him.

"Hey..." she started, feeling butterflies erupt in her stomach as he turned his head to look her way again, their eyes locking.

"Yeah...?" he asked softly, almost sounding...hopeful?

She figured he probably knew what she was about to say, and didn't intend on making him wait any longer. Opening her mouth to speak, Kagome was just about to broach the subject of her feelings, but an untimely gust of wind right in that moment interrupted her as it caused a faint shiver to run down her spine, the night air especially chilly down by the river as they were. Momentarily distracted by her discomfort, she let out a near silent vocalization of her chill in the form of _Brrr_, tugging on her sweater as she began fastening the rest of the buttons.

Inuyasha's eyes widened.

"Shit, why didn't you tell me you were cold?" he asked, his voice quiet but full of concern.

Kagome continued buttoning her buttons. "I'm all-" she started to say as she looked up once she was done, only to pause in surprise as something large, soft and _warm _was suddenly draped across her shoulders.

She met his eyes then, and felt absolutely astounded by the level of emotion she could see swimming in their golden amber depths. Why had she even doubted for a second that he still loved her just as much as she did him? Looking into his eyes in that moment, it was obvious, and her worry that it was possible he might not want the same thing she did was completely erased.

"Th-thank you..." she murmured, tugging his fire-rat suikan closer as she tucked up her bare legs, swaddling herself completely in his gifted warmth.

"My pleasure..." he replied softly, the look in his eyes intensifying. "Now, it'll smell like you again. I've missed that."

He held his breath for her reaction to such an admittance, which was a slight widening of her eyes and faint blush on her cheeks, as she unconsciously licked her lips while meeting his gaze, and he smirked, then, growing bolder. He reached across and took her right hand in his left, not unlike the way he'd taken her hand once before, in her old bedroom, the last time he'd confessed what was in his heart.

_And this time, there's no Souta to interrupt us_... he thought, remembering what her reaction to his previous confession had been.

"Kagome, I..." he started, leaning closer, only to pause as his ears shifted, picking up sounds his companion couldn't hear yet. "Shit!" he cursed quietly as he jerked his head back, using his grip on her hand to tug her abruptly to her feet as he stood up as well, releasing her afterwards.

"What is it?" she asked, concerned and surprised by his sudden change in demeanor.

"Hideaki and Yumiko." he answered matter-of-factly, his mood growing more sour by the minute as he glared in the direction they'd come from, up the path that led to the shrine.

It took Kagome a moment but then recognition dawned in her eyes, as she remembered the names of one of the local farmers and his wife.

_They live across the road from Kaede-baa-chan_... she thought, just as she started to make out the sounds of approaching footsteps over the steady flow of water, followed by the quiet rustling of nearby bushes. Sighing, she tugged Inuyasha's suikan a little tighter around her shoulders, disappointed by the interruption as well.

"See, I told you it was her!" Inuyasha heard Yumiko whisper to her husband.

"Quiet, woman! He'll hear us for sure." Hideaki stress-whispered back in reply.

"I already heard you before she spoke, so you may as well come out." Inuyasha called out then, glaring at the shrubbery as the two villagers slowly stood up, wearing matching embarrassed faces.

"Ah, I beg forgiveness, Inuyasha-sama, Kagome-sama..." Hideaki spoke up without hesitation, bowing respectfully.

"Kagome-sama!" Yumiko beamed, unable to conceal her excitement. Bowing as well, she passed an apologetic glance in her husband's direction. "Please forgive our interruption, and cast no blame on a loyal husband accompanying his foolish wife for protection from the night. After Akane-chan told me after lunch today that she had seen Inuyasha-sama, Houshi-sama and Sango-chan walk with you to Kaede-sama's from the direction of Inuyasha no Mori, I just _had_ to find out if it was true. When I noticed you and Inuyasha-sama head up the shrine steps I just had to follow and see for myself." She bowed again. "Please forgive us, Inuyasha-sama." she requested, addressing the hanyou directly that time.

Inuyasha rolled his eyes. He knew what Yumiko was like, and quite easily believed that she'd begged her husband to let her go snoop until he'd reluctantly caved in. That he had come with her, he'd let Hideaki off the hook for that one. He was a good man for not wanting to let his wife go wandering off into the woods alone at night, no matter how safe the area was.

"Keh...it's fine..." he said, waiting until she stood back up again and looked his way before continuing, Hideaki also meeting his eyes, and with a look of gratitude for his not being angry.

"So you know..." he continued then, "Kagome just got back today, and after all that happened we just wanted a day to ourselves so she could settle in with Kaede before worrying about announcing her return to the rest of the village. I was going to personally tell Haruto first thing in the morning."

"I'm here to stay." Kagome added, sending a warm smile to the two villagers she now remembered quiet well; she remembered Yumiko being among the nosiest of the village women, but in a friendly way, that had always made Kagome laugh rather than take offense. She wasn't one for spreading nasty gossip or talking badly about anyone behind their backs, she was just the type who always needed to know what was going on.

Hideaki and Yumiko both bowed again at Kagome's words.

"This is excellent news!" the farmer's wife stated excitedly as she stood back up again. "Welcome back, Kagome-sama!"

Kagome did her best not to giggle at the older woman's exuberance. "Thank you." she said, bowing a little in return.

As if finally realizing that they might have _interrupted _something, noting the way Kagome was draped with Inuyasha's jacket, the hanyou doing his best to look as regal as possible in only his hakama and kosode, Hideaki bowed again before quickly ushering his wife away, voicing additional apologies for their intrusion as they disappeared into the foliage.

"Feh..." Inuyasha grumbled once they were gone, looking out over the river with his arms crossed.

Watching him for a moment, Kagome knew she wouldn't mind picking right back up where they'd left off, but she could sense that the mood had been ruined for her companion, and wouldn't force things, if he was now feeling closed off again. It was only her first night back, after all. There would be plenty of time to discuss their feelings and talk about plans for the future. Tomorrow was probably going to be pretty crazy, but even more so because of that, she'd probably want to get away from it all once the festivities were over, so maybe she'd suggest tomorrow night that they could escape to somewhere deep in the woods, just the two of them, and camp out all night under the stars, like they'd done back when the mission had first gotten started. Kagome knew she'd like that, and she could bet her hanyou companion would like it as well.

"I guess...I guess we should probably be heading back, before it gets too much later." she said after a little while, to break the silence, and Inuyasha noticeably sighed.

"Yeah..." he agreed, still angry, not at the farmer and his wife personally, but at the whole damn situation. He'd just wanted a few measly minutes alone with Kagome. Was that too much to ask?

But he was too wound up now, and he knew it. If they stayed at the river for a while longer he still wouldn't be able to lower his guard again the way he previously had, and Kagome must have figured as much for herself. He was just glad he'd been able to hear them coming, so that they hadn't walked in on something he _really _wouldn't have wanted anybody from the village to see. It reminded him, again, of that time in Kagome's room, when Souta had barged in on them. He'd heard it when her family had gotten back home, of course, entering the house downstairs, and he'd even heard it as Souta had climbed up the stairs, approaching her room, but since the boy's room was right next door to Kagome's he hadn't thought much of it at the time, used to hearing the boy coming and going while he'd be with Kagome in her room as the miko studied for a test or something. He hadn't thought that the brat was going to suddenly walk in on them like he'd done, and so knowing that Kagome was unaware of their return he'd pressed forward, saying what he'd wanted..._needed _to say. Looking back on it now, Inuyasha wasn't even sure which was worse: if Souta would have been a few seconds later and had actually caught them kissing, or the fact that he _hadn't _gotten to feel Kagome's lips pressed against his own. While he felt he needed to keep a certain level of mystery between himself and the villagers, Kagome's brother had been closer to him, and if he had it to do all over again, Inuyasha knew he'd stop Kagome from shoving him down at the last second, grabbing her and kissing her and not giving a _shit _about Souta gaping at them from the doorway.

He sighed again, and turned, giving Kagome an apologetic smile. The look she gave him in return betrayed her curiosity, the miko no doubt wondering what he'd been thinking about over the last few minutes, but she didn't ask, and he didn't volunteer any information.

"Come on, then, let's get you indoors before you freeze." he said at last, his tone gruff, but still with a hint of gentle caring, like he was angry at the cold itself, but not at her for being a 'weak human' susceptible to such things.

He turned, then, and offered her his back, and grinning broadly, Kagome quickly fiddled with the fire-rat suikan she'd had draped over her shoulders like a blanket the entire time, running her arms through the sleeves and tying it shut the best she could do, her petite form swimming in all the extra fabric. She quickly climbed up onto Inuyasha's back, and found that the sensation wasn't foreign or uncomfortable in the slightest.

_Just like riding a bicycle_... she thought, as he reached behind himself to grip the backs of her thighs, securing her in place.

Her face tinted a smidgen, and she was glad he couldn't see it, as more _adult _thoughts than what had ever previously crossed her mind made themselves known at the action. For some reason, she'd just never put two and two together before, her fifteen-year-old self not really having had sex on the mind at most times. Sure, she _had _had the occasional thought, but for the most part, she hadn't really been ready to have _serious _thoughts on the subject, and besides that, they'd usually always either been chasing an enemy or were being chased _by _an enemy whenever she'd rode on his back before, and so where he'd been gripping her legs had honestly been the furthest concern from her mind at those times.

Now, in that moment, she couldn't _not _focus on where he was gripping her legs. Her _bare _legs.

"Ready?" she heard him ask as he stood up a little straighter, and the sound of his voice pulled her from her wandering and somewhat naughty thoughts.

She cleared her thought.

"Ready."

Aware of how rapidly her heart was suddenly beating, Inuyasha tried his best to keep calm, honestly feeling just as excited to feel her on his back again after all this time, his hands cupping her bare legs tenderly. He wasn't sure if her excitement was just from anticipating the exhilaration of the ride, or something more, but he wouldn't ruin the moment by questioning her about it. He knew he'd be embarrassed as hell if she called him out on being 'excited' by her presence.

Quickly tamping down _those _thoughts, because running while 'excited' wasn't something he wanted to deal with at the moment, he turned and faced the rocky foothills that stood between them and the village, immediately deciding against taking either the path that went left towards his forest, that exited near the Bone-Eater's Well, or the path that went right, back the way they'd come, through the wooded path that'd take them back to the shrine-temple. Instead, he crouched down and launched them straight up and over, heading due south as the bird flies. What did he need with a human's beaten path, anyway? This was the most direct route back to the village and Kaede's house, and while on the one hand he didn't really want to cut what precious few minutes he had left alone with Kagome down even shorter, the sound of her gasp, and the feel of her tightening her arms and legs around him as they sailed high into the air, were totally worth it.

Just about every villager aside from the night watchman were indoors by that point, Hideaki and Yumiko included, and so nobody witnessed the pair as they soared high above the trees, coming in for a near silent landing on the other side of the rocky slope. It was just a quick dash to Kaede's house from that point, and coming to a stop outside the old miko's door, Inuyasha remained silent as he crouched and allowed Kagome to dismount him before straightening. She remained silent as well, giving him a questioning look that was easy to read, as she tilted her head towards the reed mat in gesture, and nodding in understanding, he flicked an ear, listening to the occupants of the hut.

"They're asleep." he whispered in confirmation, and she nodded as well, wordlessly untying and removing his suikan to hand back to him.

"I'll wait out here while you change." he murmured quietly as he slipped his jacket back on, and she offered him a teasing smile.

"That's okay, I trust you not to peek." she replied in a quiet whisper, her eyes laughing. There _was _a privacy screen, after all.

_But I'm not sure I trust myself_... Inuyasha thought, and she must have read his mind from the look in his eyes because she blushed a little and looked away. It was only his advanced night vision that allowed him to see the tinting of her cheeks, and she quickly looked back his way again, clearing her throat nervously.

"W-well...whatever you'd prefer." she whispered then, and he chuckled quietly, the naughtier part of him wondering if she wasn't just giving him _permission_ to peek.

After all, it wasn't like he'd never seen her naked before; far from it. Hell, they'd just been relaxing at the place where he'd seen her naked for the first time, and it had only been the _first _time; he remembered the other occasions just as vividly. But he _really _didn't want to be tempted like that around her right in that moment, with so much still left unsaid between them, and with them not currently having the privacy needed to say, or do, what he _really_ wanted to say and do. He was relieved, though, that at whatever heated look he'd accidentally given her she had only blushed, rather than getting angry and clobbering him one, calling him indecent. Her reaction was definitely a good thing. She was right, she _had _done a lot of growing up over the last three years, both mentally and physically.

He bit back the urge to groan aloud at the thought of the various ways she'd grown physically, as he found himself realizing that those vivid memories of his were outdated.

"Go on and change already; whisper for me when you're ready." he said then, unable to keep all of the strain from his voice, and she blushed again before nodding and quickly darting inside.

_Were_..._were we just flirting_..._? _Kagome thought as she entered the hut, her cheeks flaming, as she slipped off her shoes and stepped up onto the raised wooden floor as quietly as possible, the low flames dancing lazily in the firepit giving her just enough light to see by as she made her way over to where she'd left her sleeping bag and pajamas out on the top of Kaede's storage chest.

The look in his eyes when she'd made her comment about trusting him not to peek at her...she'd never seen him look at her quite like that before. Even back in the very beginning, when he'd looked at her a few times while seeing Kikyou's face and she'd been able to see that love, that longing in his eyes that he'd once held for the deceased miko, he had never once looked at her quite like _that_. Even when she'd made that joke about him always looking at her like he 'wanted' her he'd never looked at her quite like _that_. Before, it really had been more of a longing type of look she'd seen in his eyes, and she'd said what she'd said back then, when Kikyou had first been brought back to life, just to tease him, to get him to look at her again and see _her_, Kagome. But she didn't have any of her old insecurities where Kikyou was concerned any longer, and she knew he did see _her_ when he looked at her...and in that moment he had most definitely looked at her like he _wanted _her. The thought had her heart threatening to fly right out of her chest, but at the same time, she couldn't wipe the smile from her face, as she ducked behind the changing screen and quickly slipped into her pajamas as quietly as possible before unrolling her sleeping bag and placing her folded day clothes up on top of the storage chest.

"Okay, you can come in now." she whispered much too quietly for a human standing outside to have heard her, although she knew he'd hear her just fine, which he demonstrated in that moment by immediately entering the hut at her cue.

He silently stepped up onto the wooded platform, and pulling Tessaiga from his obi to lean against the wall near her bow, he took a seat against the wall as close as he dared to where she'd placed her sleeping bag, on the other side of the firepit from the peacefully slumbering Kaede and Rin.

Observing the way he settled himself in his standard pose, aside from Tessaiga being placed aside rather than him keeping it in his grip, Kagome whispered very quietly, hoping not to disturb the others, "Don't you want to lie down? You don't have to be on alert like that anymore; I'm sure it's not comfortable for you."

"Keh, I'm fine. Used to sleeping this way; don't worry 'bout it." he replied just barely loud enough for her to hear, also hoping to avoid waking the others.

The fact of the matter was, he'd love nothing more than to sleep lying beside her, but he knew that'd be taking things way too far. Not that he would try to _do _anything with the hag and kid in the same room, but still, what if he did something stupid in his sleep like wrap his arms around her? He'd never live it down if anyone else saw that. He was fairly positive Kagome herself wouldn't mind it, and in fact knowing her she'd probably snuggle into his embrace, which made resisting the idea that much more difficult since he knew the only thing stopping him was himself, but even so he had to resist, for the time being at least. If he could somehow get Kagome all alone then it'd be a whole other story. Maybe they could camp out in the woods somewhere. He wouldn't try to make a _move _on her, not out in the forest, but he would hold her, at the very least, and cherish the feeling of her in his arms all night long. Closing his eyes, he let that thought wash over him, what it would be like. He didn't dare open his eyes back up again, knowing Kagome was still looking his way. If their eyes met, he might just lose his last ounce of resistance, and so taking a deep breath, he contented himself with her scent, with the knowledge that she was back, and in the same room. For tonight, at least, that was good enough.

Kagome stared at Inuyasha for a moment longer from her place sitting up within her sleeping bag, watching as he closed his eyes, pretty much stating with that gesture that the subject was closed. She had no idea what he was thinking about, but she knew she couldn't really speak freely at the moment without increasing the risk of disturbing the hut's other occupants, and so sighing quietly, she decided to let it go for the time being. Maybe the guy really _did _like sleeping sitting up.

_Yeah right_...

She mentally snorted.

Maybe she'd actually believe that if it weren't for the time he'd completely conked out on her bed when she'd been trying to study for her mock math exam. That memory quickly had her remembering what it'd been like to share a bed with him. Sure, it hadn't been ideal, being forced to squeeze herself into the tiny space between him and the wall, and she'd gotten a little cold, unable to get herself under the blankets since he'd been sleeping on top of her comforter and she hadn't had the heart to wake him in order to change that, but even so, there had been a time there, in the middle of the night, that the knowledge that he was lying right beside her had had her heart almost flying right out of her chest, in a _good _way. The fact that her crawling into bed beside him from the foot of the bed hadn't woken him had spoken volumes to just how tired he'd really been in and of itself, and she knew, she'd known from that moment on that even though he _was _more resilient than a human, he wasn't perdurable. That he'd allowed her to see that weakness in him, however unintentionally, had meant more to her than the first time he'd called her by name.

Of course, he'd been long gone by the time she'd woken up the next morning, playing with Buyo downstairs while her mother had been fixing breakfast. Looking back on it, Kagome would've given anything to see his reaction to waking up and realizing he'd fallen asleep in the first place, _and_ that she'd been lying right beside him. Had he only gotten up while grumbling to himself about the weakness it'd been to fall asleep in the first place, embarrassed, perhaps, that he'd done so in her presence, or had her proximity affected him in any way? She knew his proximity had affected _her _that night, especially after the show he'd given her earlier that same afternoon, when he'd barged into her room wearing nothing but bubbles. _That_ memory had her cheeks heating back up again in that moment, and she quickly lied down and got settled into her sleeping bag before he sensed her eyes upon him and caught her staring at him while blushing like an idiot.

Rolling over, facing away from Inuyasha, Kagome tried to clear her mind and go to sleep, but it was no use. The memory was right there, front and center. Inuyasha's naked form barging into her room without a care in the world to his state of undress. She supposed things were different in this century, the world she would now call home, and even beyond that he was so very different from other people, being half inu-youkai and all, so perhaps he thought of modesty differently? Had he been so far gone in his desire to get away from Souta that his nakedness had completely slipped his mind, or had he simply not _cared _about being nude in her presence? She supposed she was more just curious than anything else, but it was a question she'd really like to know the answer to. Did he look back on that time with embarrassment, or indifference? Did he never give the matter a second thought, or had he regretted his thoughtlessness at that time and feared that she'd been disgusted with him, thinking him some kind of pervert? Or, was it possible he had actually been aware of just how perverted she herself could be at times, and where her own thoughts had actually traveled to, and if so did the knowledge that she'd fantasized about his body since that day embarrass, or excite him?

At the time, of course, she'd been completely flustered, throwing whatever objects she could get her shaking hands on at him and ordering him out of her room, but not before she'd gotten quite the eyeful, and while at the time it had completely mortified her, it had also provided material for her later fantasies, as time went on and her feelings for him grew. Granted, he'd been completely flaccid at the time, but her imagination was enough to fill in the blanks. Kagome wondered, did he ever conjure up the mental pictures he'd acquired of _her _naked body throughout their mission? He'd seen her completely nude at least four times that she could recall off the top of her head, and if what she could remember of his body from only the one time was any indication then he could probably picture her perfectly, not that that thought bothered her, if she were to be completely honest with herself. She wanted him, _had _wanted him for a long time now, and yes, she fantasized about him. She wondered..._hoped _that he felt and did the same. The odds were good, she knew, if that _look _he'd just given her a few minutes ago was any indication. Kagome only knew one thing for certain, and it was that she wasn't the squeamish fifteen-year-old she'd used to be, getting flustered at the drop of a hat. She was a woman, and she wanted Inuyasha to be her man.

_We are __definitely__ going to have to find some time alone tomorrow to talk_... she thought, taking a deep breath through her nose, trying to relax away her lingering tension. She wasn't so much nervous as excited. She had no idea what his reaction was going to be to her love confession, if he'd be shy and embarrassed or brazen and bold, but there was only one way to find out and Kagome, for one, was done with shy and embarrassed. At least when nobody else was around.

Sighing, she found herself wishing they had the hut all to themselves.

_There's nothing for it, so the quicker I go to sleep, the quicker tomorrow, and some alone time, will get here_... she thought then, finally relaxing the last bit of tension out of her body as her mind began to drift away, piecing together what-if scenarios that were bound to lead to some very pleasant dreams.

Unbeknownst to Kagome, Inuyasha opened his eyes back up at the sound of her sigh, wondering just what she was thinking about. His own thoughts over the last few minutes had revolved around his dwindling hope over the last three years that he'd ever get to see her again, and his near disbelief that his hopes and dreams had finally come true. She was actually back. She had actually returned to him. He was almost afraid to go to sleep, for fear that he'd wake up in the morning and find that it'd all been a dream. But it wasn't a dream, and he knew that. He knew he was awake, and he knew that was Kagome lying not four feet away from him, in her sleeping bag, just like old times, except _this _time there was no Naraku threatening to end their lives at any moment. The world was peaceful, or at least as peaceful as a world full of human warfare could be. Their little village seemed exempt from the daimyo squabbles for the time being, though, and he would do his part to help keep it that way for as long as possible. He might not have any say in what the lord of Musashi decided to do, and how much rice they had to pay in taxes, but he could and would at least keep them youkai and bandit free, to make sure they had the rice to spare to pay those taxes without suffering any undo hardships as a result. In the event of a bad harvest, he'd hunt, bringing in more meat than the village hunters could ever hope for; he'd net more fish than the fishermen could ever catch. He'd do _whatever_ it took to keep them fed if the daimyo took all their rice because this was _his _village; the people were his to protect and while it had been weird, at first, when they'd first made their view of him in that role clear, he would not disappoint them. He would not fail them.

_I never used to give a rat's ass what humans thought of me, or what became of them, but now, __these__ humans_..._they've all become so important to me, and it's all thanks to that girl lying there_... he thought, staring at Kagome's still form, listening to her breathing and heartbeat as she finally started to fall asleep.

Following her example, then, Inuyasha did his best to allow his mind to quiet down enough to get some actual sleep, himself. She was right; he _didn't _need to be on as high of an alert as he'd always used to be on back when they'd been hunting Naraku. He could sleep more soundly nowadays, without the fear of imminent attack hanging over their heads. He usually couldn't sleep as well indoors in his hanyou form since he preferred the open forest air, being in a hut being too stuffy for his sensitive nose, but tonight, in that hut, the air smelled like Kagome, and he'd sleep bound in ropes and stuffed in a crate if it meant he could smell her delicate, beautiful fragrance all night long. His last thought before sleep finally claimed him was that he never again wanted to go a single night without her sweet scent surrounding him.


	6. The first day of the rest of her life

Chapter 6 – The first day of the rest of her life

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The next morning, Kagome awoke for the first time in three long years to the sound of a rooster crowing, with birdsong, barking dogs and playing children also working their way into her awareness, the feel and smell of the crackling cook fire rousing her the rest of the way. Opening her eyes, she grinned broadly to realize it hadn't been a dream, that she was actually back, and rolling over onto her back she sat up in her sleeping bag and cast her smile in Inuyasha's direction.

The hanyou, who'd been wide awake for the last couple of hours although he hadn't moved from his spot, sent Kagome a smile of his own and nod in return, before quietly murmuring a pleasant "Morning..."

The sound of his voice drew Kaede and Rin's attention, the two having been working on breakfast preparations as quietly as possible so as to let Kagome sleep in.

"Ah, Kagome, good morning." Kaede greeted as the miko rolled up her sleeping bag and put it away within the storage chest, disappearing behind the changing screen with her day clothes.

Kagome smirked while changing, thinking how Inuyasha hadn't managed to avoid being in the same room with her as she undressed, after all, although she imagined the temptation to be naughty had been extirpated with Kaede and Rin both wide awake.

Indeed, Inuyasha's thoughts were preoccupied with all the things he had to do that morning, the 'mood' of last night the furthest thing on his mind in that precise moment.

Emerging from behind the changing screen, Kagome put her pajamas away in the storage chest and took a seat beside Inuyasha. "It's a good morning, indeed." she agreed then, accepting the cup of tea Rin handed her.

_Okay, __today__ is the first day of the rest of my life_... she thought happily, reflecting back on the cliché.

Letting the cup warm her hands for a moment, she took a small sip of the bitter liquid.

"You could have woken me," she stated then; "I could have helped with breakfast."

Scooping up bowls of miso soup, Kaede used the ladle in her hand to wave off Kagome's concerns.

"Nonsense, you are our guest." the elderly miko replied with a friendly smile.

"But I thought Kagome-sama lived here now." Rin chimed in, mildly confused. "Doesn't that mean she's not a guest?" the girl asked, as she refilled Inuyasha's cup of lightly steeped tea, the hanyou silently nodding his thanks.

"I don't know how long I'm going to live here with you specifically, Rin-chan, but you're right though, I don't want you two thinking of me as a guest while I'm here." Kagome answered before Inuyasha could say anything.

He grinned at her words, quickly hiding it from the women by taking a sip of his tea. He wasn't stupid or paranoid, and knew there was no way in all the hells Kagome would _ever_ leave Kaede's to go move in with one of the other families instead. Not even Sango and Miroku. If she were going to live with _anybody _then Kaede and Rin were the best, most logical choice by a long shot, and he would've known that even without the exchange that'd happened yesterday where the old miko had officially extended Kagome her welcome. So for her to hint at the concept of her time living under Kaede's roof being temporary, it could only mean that she was rolling the idea around in her head of one day having her _own _place. Not a bad idea at all, if you asked him. Inuyasha might not have felt all that confident in what the villagers would think of the idea of building a hut for a _hanyou_, but for their precious Kagome? A new hut, beside Kaede's, a little place she could call her own so that the old miko's one-room house didn't feel quite so crowded..._that_ he could easily believe the villagers would have no problem with. And once Kagome had her own separate little hut built next door it would also mean that the _two_ of them could share her dwelling, alone, in private, without the worry of Kaede and Rin in the same room.

Of course, some of the villagers might not find _that_ idea quite as pleasing, but screw 'em. He and Kagome belonged together, plain and simple. Even if they were only friends he'd _still_ want to stay with her, although he was fairly certain by that point that she wanted to be _more _than friends, which was just fine with him since he felt the same way.

Rin suddenly appearing in his face with his food tray pulled Inuyasha from his wandering thoughts.

"Thank you." he accepted, gesturing for her to set the tray down in front of him, which she did with a respectful little bow of her head.

Setting his tea down so that he could grip the soup bowl with both hands, he exhaled once and shook his head a little in an attempt to keep his mind focused on the here and now, as he took a quiet sip of his soup. He'd had three years to fantasize. Kagome was actually _back_ now, sitting right next to him, and he didn't want to miss a minute of it.

"So what are your plans for today, Kagome?" Kaede asked as she passed Rin the next finished tray, which the young girl immediately served to Kagome.

Setting her tea aside as well, Kagome went for the rice first, letting the miso soup cool for a minute.

"Well, I guess first and foremost we've got to officially let the rest of the village know I'm back. Inuyasha had already said he could hear some people talking about it yesterday, and then we bumped into Hideaki-sama and Yumiko-chan last night. More like they were spying..." She chuckled a little at the memory. "The rumors are definitely spreading, so I imagine if we don't make some kind of an announcement soon you'll end up getting hordes of visitors wanting to see for themselves, Kaede-baa-chan."

"If Yumiko-chan is already aware that you're back then probably half of the village is already aware." Kaede replied with a light chuckle of her own. "Still, I agree that Haruto-sama should be officially notified, and the sooner the better."

"I'll take care of it." Inuyasha spoke up then, draining down the last of his soup in one big gulp. "I'll go talk to him before doing my perimeter check. Might be gone longer than normal if he agrees to the idea of me bringing back a deer, if he wants to host a celebratory feast tonight. I'm sure he will."

He started eating his rice, but couldn't ignore the sight of Kagome staring at him from the corner of his eye, and finally, he turned to look her way.

"What?" he kind of half-snapped, unable to keep his lips from inching up into an amused grin as she openly laughed.

"Nothing, nothing..." she waved off with her chopsticks. "It's just so strange to hear you talking about making arrangements with the headman for a celebration when the _old _you would've done anything he could to _avoid _a village festivity like that." She laughed again, and then sighed, the look in her eyes warm, caring. "I guess I'm just realizing how much growing up you've also done over the years. I'm glad."

His cheeks tinted a light shade of pink at her words, and he looked away, concentrating on his rice.

"Feh..." he grumbled good-naturedly, glancing her way with another grin on his lips as she giggled.

Kaede and Rin passed knowing, amused looks to each other at the display, although in reality Kaede knew Kagome had made a very good point. Inuyasha had indeed come quite a long way in the almost four years since the day Kagome had released him from his seal on the Goshinboku. It just embarrassed him whenever you pointed it out. Kaede wasn't quite sure if it was the praise itself that unsettled him, or the reminder of how childishly he'd used to behave, but either way, pointing out his newfound maturity didn't make him rebel and act like the old him just to spite you, which was, of course, yet another sign of maturity, and Kaede for one was grateful for the changes in him. She believed Inuyasha was now showing them the _real _him, the walls he'd built up around himself over a lifetime of solitude and rejection slowly but surely crumbling down in the face of an entire village that not only accepted him, but borderline worshiped him. It was a far cry from the loneliness he'd used to endure. She did not personally think of Inuyasha as a forest kami, of course, although she knew she couldn't really think of him as a human boy, either. He was a human boy one night a month, perhaps, but the rest of the time he had more of a youkai's mind and instincts, she knew, not that that was a bad thing. Inu-youkai were a fiercely loyal breed, ruthless to their enemies but unwaveringly faithful to anyone they considered friend and family, just like their mortal canine counterparts, and Inuyasha was the best of both worlds, being hanyou. He had an inu-youkai's mind and instincts, but also a human heart to go with them, and that only strengthened the bond between himself and his friends even more, as far as Kaede was concerned. He did still consider them people under his protection; they were all his to protect, _his_ humans, from a canine's perspective, but even so he also had an emotional connection to the people closest to him that came straight from his human half. He wasn't _just _an inu-youkai protecting his humans, he was also their _friend_.

The four occupants of the hut finished the rest of their breakfast in peaceful silence, and then once he was done with his rice and tea, Inuyasha announced that he needed to get going. His eyes met Kagome's, his expression still full of happiness, of wonder.

"You don't have to stay here," he told her politely, "if you wanted to go visit with Sango, or anybody else. I'll find you when I get back." He tapped his nose.

She nodded her understanding.

Slipping Tessaiga through his obi, he passed Kagome one last look as he stood in Kaede's doorway, nodded his head in determination, and left, mind set on getting his tasks over and done with as quickly as possible so that he could come back and be in her presence again as quickly as possible.

Kagome watched him go with a fond smile, and then once she was finished with her own breakfast, she offered to do the dishes for Kaede. Nodding with a pleased uplift to her lips, the elderly miko accepted Kagome's offer, as the future-born miko collected her and Rin's dishes as well her own and Inuyasha's, and took everything over to the water tub in the kitchen side of the hut, beginning her task.

"Rin, why don't you get started on weeding the garden?" Kaede suggested after a moment, and the girl, not stupid, took it as the polite dismissal it was, since she usually had a few other chores she did around the house first before heading outside to tend to the vegetable garden.

"All right, Kaede-sama." she replied, grabbing her weeding basket, head scarf, and tasuki to tie back her sleeves. Exiting the hut, she left the two miko alone.

Kaede remained silent as Kagome finished washing, drying, and putting away their cups, bowls and chopsticks, and then once that task was complete, the younger miko grabbed a couple pieces of firewood from the stack and made her way back over to the firepit in the center of the room, taking a seat near Kaede as she added the new wood to the fire.

"It is truly remarkable, that you have returned to us, Kagome..." Kaede spoke up after a moment, breaking the peaceful silence. "I know we are all quite pleased to see you, someone more so than everyone else, I would imagine."

Kagome adopted a whimsical smile as she poked at the wood in the fire.

"I'm quite pleased to be back, as well." she stated. "I just couldn't stay away any longer. I _had _to come back. That decision finally clicked in my brain, where I wanted to be most of all, and I would have been miserable if the well had still failed to open."

"I agree with what you said yesterday, that the well itself has most likely decided it will no longer work as a two-way portal. I am fairly certain, now that you've made this miraculous journey, that you will never again be able to return to your homeland, even should you want to."

"_This _ is my homeland, now." Kagome stated assertively, though not without a friendly smile in her eyes as she met the older miko's gaze. "Even if the well would send me back, there's no way to know it 'cause I'd have to _try _it in order to find out, and I'm never going into the Bone-Eater's Well ever again. That was the deciding factor. I'd always wanted to come here, but with the ability to go back and forth again. Yesterday, I finally made the decision to _come here_, permanently. I just had to be with you guys again."

"You mean, you had to be with Inuyasha." Kaede corrected with a grandmotherly smirk and twinkle in her good eye.

Kagome laughed lightly.

"It's that obvious, huh?"

"I think, even to Inuyasha himself, or at least I would _hope _so, after all this time. I could see the love you two were developing for each other long before either one of you would have admitted it out loud, and that love was not absent in either of your eyes yesterday afternoon. The two of you need to find some time alone to discuss things."

"Oh, I know it, and I'm going to see what I can do about that later today, hopefully. I guess it'll depend on how crazy the 'welcome home' party gets."

"Oh, I imagine Haruto-sama will most likely keep things under control, and just have a small feast in your honor at his compound with his family, although that doesn't mean other people won't get involved, stopping in to greet you." Kaede stated. "I don't think you realize just how important you'd become to us, Kagome. The entire village mourned our loss of you when Inuyasha returned alone on that day, even though we had been reassured by him that you were safe, returned to your family. I know it will please everyone greatly to learn that you have returned to us for good."

"I think I'm starting to realize how important I am," Kagome admitted, "if Hideaki-sama and Yumiko-chan's reactions to my return were anything to go by."

Thinking back on an old memory, Kagome chuckled a little, and said, "Some of the villagers, those two included, had started bowing down to me as soon as word first spread that I was Kikyou's reincarnation. That'd bothered me, back then, but if Inuyasha can get used to being praised, then so can I. I've never had the attitude that I'm more important than anyone else, but I can't deny the strength of my spiritual powers, and being thought of by the villagers as Kikyou's reincarnation doesn't bother me anymore, either. It's true, after all. I've made my peace with that."

Tilting her head in contemplation, Kaede studied Kagome for a moment, earning the younger miko's attention.

"What?" she asked, a bit of a chuckle in her voice at the suddenly serious look Kaede was giving her.

Kaede shook her head, as if to arrange her thoughts.

"Indeed, many of the villagers see you as Kikyou-onee-sama returned to them, but I do not want you to feel like you must live in her shadow. Her responsibilities may have been given to you upon her death in regard to Naraku and the sacred jewel, but nothing more, and now that those obligations are fulfilled, you are free to make your own life choices."

Staring into the fire for a moment, she watched the flames dance, and then met the eighteen-year-old's eyes once more.

"Tell me, Kagome, did you have any plans for your future here in our village? Any dreams for what your life would entail? Besides our hanyou friend, I mean."

Kagome blinked, not sure she knew what Kaede was hinting at.

"What do you mean?" she asked, explaining kind of sheepishly, "I mean, to tell the truth I never really thought about beyond just wanting to come back to be with Inuyasha again, wanting to be here, in his presence, and yes with the rest of you guys, too. I missed all of you terribly, but without knowing exactly what I was coming into I didn't really think that far ahead as far as the details go, you know?"

Drawing up her legs, Kagome wrapped her hands around her knees and stared into the fire, continuing with, "To be perfectly honest, when I first found myself at the bottom of the well in this time, I didn't even know for sure where I'd be staying. I'd _hoped _it'd be here, with you, but then of course, I hadn't known..."

She paused, hesitating.

"If I was still alive?" Kaede supplied, not offended. She chuckled a little. "I'm old, but not yet quite _that _old."

"Oh, no!" Kagome rushed to correct, blushing a little. "It's just that, anything could have happened. Another youkai attack, or-"

Kaede laughed more openly that time, the sound cutting Kagome off mid-ramble, and the younger girl relaxed, chuckling as well.

"I do agree that you were jumping into the unknown, but such is the way of all leaps of faith." Kaede stated then. "The reason I ask your plans is because if you did not have a specific path you wished for yourself, then I wanted to inquire as to whether you would be interested in becoming my apprentice for village miko."

Kagome blinked, taken aback.

"Me? Village miko?" she asked, surprised.

"Who is better qualified?" Kaede countered. "I have been training young Rin with some things. She's a fast learner of herb lore and other things a village healer must know, but she lacks spiritual power, and of course, there's no guarantee she'll even remain with us once she comes of age. Our village is not without spiritual heirs, however Houshi-dono's daughters are still much too young to begin any kind of serious training, and although I am not quite _that _old..." she teased, "I am old enough, and would love nothing more than for you to learn all that I can teach you while there is still time."

Kagome felt truly humbled by Kaede's words, and she also had to admit that since she _was _Kikyou's reincarnation, and she _did _have spiritual powers, it'd actually be kind of stupid to _not _take advantage of that. It was like she had been born to be a miko, by the kami's own design.

_Actually, I was_... she reminded herself, since she'd been born with the Shikon no Tama within her body. Not only had she been born to be a miko, she'd been born to be the _Shikon _miko.

_And who am I go to against the kami, right?_ she thought then, remembering the statement she'd made last evening at Sango and Miroku's house.

"I suppose studying to become a _real _miko makes a lot more sense than, say, learning how to weave bolts of fabric to sell on Market Day." Kagome said then, nodding her agreement. "I honestly never thought about having some kind of a job; my only thought was coming back...to be with Inuyasha. But the women here, they do work, don't they?" The question was rhetorical. "I should do _something _to earn my keep," she stated matter-of-factly, "and it'd go against the kami, I think, to let my powers be ignored. I have them for a reason."

Shifting her position, she corrected her posture, sitting on her legs properly, hands folded in her lap.

"Kaede-baa-chan," she started, "I know why you asked me my plans, asking whether I had a specific dream in mind for myself or not, making it clear you would let me do whatever I wanted if being a miko wasn't it. I know your sister longed to be an ordinary woman and lamented her life as a miko, and so you want to avoid me having a similar fate, but I am not Kikyou, and most importantly, the duty of protecting the Shikon no Tama is fulfilled, as you said. Being a regular miko, without the weight of the jewel on my shoulders, would not be so all consuming, and that you have given me the choice and ability to decline, instead of trying to guilt me into thinking it's my sacred duty...I truly appreciate that. My dream for my future, my desire in coming here, is to become Inuyasha's wife, but whether besides that I also weave baskets, make fabric dyes, or am a miko, it doesn't really matter at face value, I think. I mean, even if I weren't actively a miko I've still got the powers, and I _will _use them when needed. If a youkai attacks, I will defend this village. If something is tainted with jyaki or shouki, I will purify it. So I may as well learn the dances and the ceremonies, too, and especially herbs and healing. You've already taught me some; I still remember what you showed me during the mission, which herbs reduce fever, and how to make a poultice. I would be _honored_ to become your apprentice and learn everything you can teach me so that I can one day become the official miko of this village, so long as you don't think the villagers will have a problem with me being their miko while also being married to Inuyasha."

"Oh, that won't be a problem." Kaede stated without hesitation, grinning proudly at Kagome. "Now that everyone has learned the truth of Naraku's trickery, and that Inuyasha was never our enemy, he is revered. You two are a good match; two beings both blessed by the kami themselves. The Shikon Miko, who vanquished the sacred jewel once and for all, and her inu-youkai protector, now protector of our entire village. Your union would be praised, I imagine. The few who did have a problem with Inuyasha already left us years ago; he has no enemies here and you certainly do not, so you needn't worry."

Kagome sagged in relief at Kaede's unwavering reassurance. She actually really liked the idea of becoming a shrine miko, since that's what she had been planning on doing back in the future, anyway, no other skill or practice coming to mind that felt as natural to her, or as fulfilling, as being a miko could be. She _had _grown up in a shrine, after all, watching as her mother would play the role of miko during celebrations, doing the dances, saying the prayers. It was something she'd actually always kind of wanted to do, even as a child, even before she'd learned she actually had real spiritual powers. She honestly had no interest in learning how to weave fabric or baskets, or any other such skills beyond what was needed for maintaining a household in her new century, although she _would _if it was required of her, of course. She'd do whatever it took to earn her keep, to become a functioning, intricate part of society. But if the elderly village miko wanted her as an apprentice to take over for her one day, well, it didn't get much more intricate than that, now did it?

Even so, she certainly wouldn't do it if it would cause her and Inuyasha any problems; she was glad that, apparently, that wouldn't be the case. She knew that miko could be married and have families, but she also knew how most people felt about hanyou in the Sengoku jidai, even though she didn't _approve_. She was very glad, indeed, that at least their local villagers showed Inuyasha the respect he deserved. So she'd do it, she'd become an official shrine miko, and learn that century's ceremonies since they probably differed a little from the ones she knew from the future. That would be her career, her contribution to society. She didn't need to make things to sell on Market Day to help bring in money since Inuyasha had his extermination job with Miroku, and now that she was on board, hell, she could even go with them on occasion and help them pick up even _more _work. Traveling to the aid of another village...that actually sounded like something she'd like to do, too, although she'd probably only go on the occasional job every once in a while since the village was vulnerable whenever Inuyasha and Miroku were both away, so they'd actually need her at home at those times, come to think of it.

She supposed those kinds of details could all get hashed out later. Maybe Miroku could stay behind a few times so that she and Inuyasha could hit the road together instead, just the two of them. It'd be just like old times, except much more intimate.

She could feel her cheeks heating at the thought, and cleared her thought, trying to lasso her mind back into the conversation at hand.

"Well, now that that's all sorted out, I guess the only thing left to do is ask Inuyasha to marry me." she joked, earning another laugh from her new sensei.

"Don't be too surprised if he's the one who asks you first. Something tells me the carpenters are going to be put to work building another house before too much longer."

"I'd like that, a lot." Kagome admitted, glancing out the window. "Hopefully Inuyasha gets done with his morning business soon and gets back so that we can squeeze in some alone time before tonight's activities." she said, before rising to her feet and offering to go fetch Kaede some more clean water. She figured keeping herself busy with simple tasks would help pass the time, and besides, fetching water from a village well was something she needed to get used to doing.

oooooooooo

At the headman's compound, Kazue, Haruto's wife, knocked gently on the office door frame. Haruto looked up from his paperwork at the familiar sounding knock, and put his ink brush away.

"Come in." he called softly, casting a pleasant smile in his wife's direction when the door slid open.

"Ah, wife, to what do I owe this pleasure?"

"You have a visitor." she stated, stepping aside and bowing respectfully as Inuyasha walked past her and entered the small building.

Surprised, Haruto immediately got up from his seat at the desk and bowed his head in respect as well.

"Inuyasha-sama, it is an unexpected honor that you grace us with your presence on this most auspicious morning." he stated while his head was still bowed.

Such a comment used to make him fidget uncomfortably, but the hanyou was used to maintaining his composure those days in the face of such things. Clearing his throat quietly, Inuyasha remained outwardly calm, even managing to avoid crinkling his nose at the smell of wet ink because he didn't want to risk the headman misunderstanding the facial expression. He waited until Haruto lifted his head and met his gaze, and then gave his head a little nod in reply.

"Wife, please bring our esteemed house guest-"

"She already offered me tea; don't worry about it." Inuyasha interrupted, his tone of voice polite enough.

Nodding his understanding, Haruto made a hand gesture towards the opened door, and bowing again, Kazue quickly slid the door back shut, leaving the two men alone in the office building.

"So, Inuyasha-sama, how may I help you?" Haruto asked the hanyou then, unable to keep the excitement out of his voice.

Inuyasha supposed the man already suspected why he was there.

"Keh, don't need no help with nothin'. I just figured, well, I'm sure you've already heard the rumors..."

Haruto's eyes immediately lit up at that, his smile broadening.

"It is true, then?" he asked, desperate for confirmation. "Has Kagome-sama truly returned to us?"

His oldest granddaughter had mentioned at dinner last night how she'd heard the other girls talking about it that evening, some people having claimed to have seen glimpses of the mysterious girl walking either to or from Kaede's house. He had had plans to go and speak with the elderly miko himself that very morning as soon as he'd finished his paperwork, intent on verifying whether or not it was true.

"Yeah, it's true." Inuyasha confirmed then. "She arrived yesterday, and she's here to _stay_. We just figured, the group of us, that she deserved a quiet day to settle in and catch up with old friends, first, before telling everybody else she's back. Not that we did a very good job keeping the secret."

Taking a deep breath, he chuckled a little.

"I knew once Yumiko saw her that the rest of the village would find out, anyway, but I still thought coming here and telling you in person was the right way to do things." he kidded.

Haruto chuckled a little himself at that comment.

"No doubt there are a scant few who have not already heard the news." he agreed with a wry grin. "Still, I can certainly understand Kagome-sama's desire to become reacquainted with her closest friends, first, before being bombarded by everybody else wanting to greet her and praise her return. She is precious to us all, but in a different way than how she is precious to you."

Haruto was referring to the entire Inu-tachi with that comment, and Inuyasha knew that, but he still blushed mildly, quickly turning his head in the hope of masking it, as he focused his attention on the headman's work desk, and the shelves of scrolls behind it.

He wondered if the headman would be making mention of Kagome's return in the village ledger, but after their conversation the night before about the surviving records in her time being so vague, he wondered if perhaps not too many details were going to be jotted down, like she'd hypothesized. He wouldn't mention it, letting Haruto write down whatever he wished. He was sure there had to have been _some _mention of the Shikon Miko's return to their world, but maybe like Kagome'd hypothesized, her family had known all along, and kept those scrolls a secret from her. Either that or that particular scroll got destroyed over the centuries somehow or another. He supposed it didn't really matter. All that mattered to the hanyou in that moment was what Haruto planned on doing that night to honor Kagome's return.

"I suppose you'll wanna throw some kind of party." he said then, stating it matter-of-factly and not sounding annoyed by the notion.

"Oh, most definitely." Haruto agreed without hesitation. "I definitely think a feast should be held tonight in Kagome-sama's honor. I shall have my wife begin preparations immediately."

Inuyasha's ears perked up at that, as he launched into his desire to take down a deer as his contribution. He could do it that morning, giving Kazue plenty of time to braise or broil the meat, or whatever she wanted to do with it.

"Don't worry, I'll just bring in the cuts of meat, so that none of the kids have to see a dead deer and your wife won't have to fuss with the butchering."

"Always so courteous." Haruto commented, relaxing his posture a bit as he adopted a whimsical smile. "See, this is why I never believed my father, when he spoke of what a monster you were. You asked me once, why I had been so quick to side with Kaede-sama in clearing your name of wrong doing. It's because I was there, and I remember."

"Keh, I remember you, too, old man..." Inuyasha said, tapping his nose. "You were the brat who always followed me around, staring up at me in whatever tree I was in as I waited for Kikyou to finish her chores. Tried to chase you off more than once."

Haruto laughed at the memory.

"Which only sparked my curiosity further, of course, since you never actually did anything to _hurt _me, like my father was always so convinced you would do. I just wanted to get a closer look at you; I was curious."

Inuyasha leaned forward slightly, and wiggled his ears.

"You get a good enough look yet?"

Haruto laughed again, and Inuyasha smirked as he straightened back up. Some of the villagers never relaxed in his presence, almost falling over themselves as they bowed down before him, and that got a little annoying, rather quickly. But Haruto...him, he didn't mind. The old headman was respectful, but he was also one of the few who didn't speak to him as if terrified of accidentally angering a god. Once the formalities were over with, the two of them could actually speak like normal men to one another. In part, Inuyasha knew it was because Haruto was one of the few village elders besides Kaede who remembered him from before he was sealed. He remembered what it was like to see Inuyasha out and about, walking among them and socializing with their village miko. To the younger generations, he was the myth, the legend, the magical creature sealed away in the forest they'd used to fear, the monster they'd since come to accept was actually a _good _monster, but a monster none the less. Most people did not feel comfortable having conversations with monsters, good or otherwise, but to those few who remembered him as Kikyou's companion, he wasn't just a forest spirit, he was Inuyasha.

Hashing out the rest of the details for that night's celebratory feast with the headman and his family, Inuyasha excused himself a few minutes later and made his way back up to Sango and Miroku's house, to fill them in on the details as well. He'd already stopped at their place first, after leaving Kaede's, to let Miroku know that he'd take care of talking to Haruto one-on-one.

After filling them in on what the game plan was, the hanyou asked them to please inform Kagome, and then he was off. He would have gone back to Kaede's to tell Kagome what he and the headman had decided on, himself, but Inuyasha knew that he wouldn't want to leave her presence again if he did, and so he'd decided that he'd rather just stay away and get the rest of his tasks taken care of so that when he _did _return he wouldn't then have to turn around and leave again. In fact if he could swing it, he'd probably like to start bringing her with him on his morning patrols, just to have her with him. Now that he finally had Kagome back, he wanted to be away from her as infrequently as possible.


	7. Failure to communicate

Chapter 7 – What we've got here is failure to communicate

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Kagome was unofficially in the middle of her first lesson with Kaede, listening to the older miko as she showed her the various containers of herbs she kept on hand, explaining what each one was and what it was for, when there was a knock on the door followed by an orange blur zipping inside before anyone even had a chance to answer.

"Good morning, Kagome!" Shippou stated joyously from his perch atop the young miko's head.

Laughing, Kagome plucked the kitsune off her head and sat him back down on his feet, Rin giggling at the sight from her spot over by the water bucket, washing the radishes she'd collected that morning after she'd finished weeding the vegetable garden.

"Good morning to you, too, Shippou-chan." Kagome stated, smiling down at the boy.

"I hope we're not intruding..." came Miroku's amused voice next, as the door mat was pushed aside to reveal the monk and his wife, plus their kids, all lingering in Kaede's doorway, waiting for a proper invitation.

"I would have been surprised had you not decided to return this morning, Houshi-dono..." Kaede stated, giving the group a friendly smile and wave. "Come in, come in."

"Inuyasha wanted us to come tell you guys the news." Sango explained as she had a seat beside the young miko, Ichirou cradled in her arms. "Would you like to hold him?" Sango asked as Kagome smiled down at the boy, and surprised and humbled at her offer, the future-born miko accepted the precious bundle when Sango moved Ichirou over into her arms.

Mizuki and Misaki scampered their way over towards Shippou as Miroku took a seat beside his wife, the kitsune retreating behind Rin for safety, which earned another giggle from the eleven-year-old.

"I'll keep them busy for you if you finish washing the daikon for me." Rin bargained, and Shippou immediately agreed.

"Deal!"

With the kitsune taking over her current chore for her, Rin rose to her feet and dusted off her knees before getting the two-year-olds to follow her to the back of the hut, where she retrieved a small storage box off a shelf and dumped its contents onto the floor to reveal her collection of unusual and pretty stones, the twins immediately becoming fascinated by all the different colors and patterns the miscellaneous pebbles contained.

Smiling and nodding at the sight, Sango then turned her attention back to Kagome holding Ichirou, and grinning at the thought of how natural the younger woman looked holding a baby in her arms, the slayer then proceeded to explain to Kagome what the game plan was for the celebration in her honor at the headman's compound that evening.

Thinking about what a nice and large family dinner it was going to be, and how she was the guest of honor, Kagome glanced down over herself, wearing yesterday's clothes, her hair unwashed, and realized she needed to get herself cleaned up.

"Guess I'm going to have to get used to cold baths..." she mused with a playful crinkle of her nose, remembering the first time she'd bathed in the river. Of course, her expression of displeasure quickly morphed into a fond smile, remembering yet again how she'd caught Inuyasha spying on her, a quiet chuckle escaping her lips.

Her change in demeanor went unnoticed by the slayer, whose mind had started problem solving as soon as Kagome had first voiced her need to get washed up and changed into clean clothing.

"Why don't you come over for lunch, Kagome-chan? And then afterwards you can bathe in our tub." Sango offered, explaining, "Miroku made sure I could still enjoy a nice hot bath whenever I wanted, so we've got a fairly large wash tub he purchased one Market Day. It's not as fancy as some of the tubs in the nicer bath houses, needing to be filled with heated pots of water every time because there's no way to reheat the water already in the tub, but that still beats cold baths any day."

"I finally get to watch her bathing without getting slapped for it." Miroku chimed in, waggling his eyebrows, which earned a blush from his wife while Kagome and Kaede both chuckled quietly.

"No spying if I come to use your bathtub, Miroku-sama." Kagome warned with a stern but yet amused twinkle in her eyes.

"Absolutely not, or I imagine Sango's lovely tub would gain a dent in the shape of my head, courtesy of our resident hanyou." Miroku acknowledged, rubbing the top of his head just thinking about it, which earned a giggle from Sango that time before the slayer assured Kagome that her husband would indeed be exiled outside for the duration of her bath.

"I also have a spare yukata and wrap skirt I think would look just lovely on you, if you wanted it." she offered next.

"Thanks, Sango-chan, I probably need to start dressing that way." Kagome stated with a warm smile, before adding, "Although I think for tonight, under the circumstances, it'd probably make the most sense if I changed into miko robes." Telling her friends about Kaede's offer at their inquisitive looks, she explained how she'd decided it was the best career move for her, considering her reiki powers and all. "It just doesn't make sense to be born with this gift and _not _use it to be a real miko, you know?"

"I agree." Miroku chimed in. "It would seem the kami themselves have arranged for you to become our future village miko. As you have explained it to us before, nobody else from your century has the gift of reiki, at least that you know of. Youkai have also completely disappeared, be they in hiding or truly vanished, and a miko with genuine powers of purification is somebody who is simply not required in the place you came from. For you to have been born, then, with such great power, it seems obvious to me that you were not meant for that world, but for ours."

Sango, Kaede and Shippou all nodded sagely at Miroku's words, while Rin half-listened to the adults' conversation while keeping the twins distracted, telling them the story of where she'd found each and every rock as they went through her collection one by one.

With the business part of their visit taken care of, Sango and Miroku continued to hang out for a little while longer, letting Rin finish what she'd started with the girls because they knew the twins would put up a fight if they tried to get them to leave without learning about each and every pebble first. Fortunately Rin didn't have a _huge _collection, and they were already over halfway through it. Continuing their visit, then, the slayer and monk told Kagome a few more stories she hadn't heard yet, of things she'd missed while she'd been away. Just normal, albeit amusing stories, involving one thing or another that had happened in their lives, in the village. It made Kagome glad, and grateful really, to know that life in the village had been peaceful for the last three years, since Naraku's demise. She'd been worried that youkai activity might have risen, like it had done the times Naraku had gone into hiding in the past, but she suspected towards the end there that Naraku had actually absorbed most of his lower insect youkai into himself for the added power, and so there simply weren't the massive numbers of them running loose in his absence as there had previously been.

Of course, more intelligent youkai were always a potential threat, the ones who'd had nothing to do with Naraku but had known to stay in hiding while he was in power because they'd been rightfully afraid of him, but since the jewel was also gone Kagome suspected there was nothing most of those guys would want from them anymore. If one of them was going to cause trouble, like if he'd missed the memo that the jewel had been destroyed and wanted his own chance to claim it now that Naraku was gone, Kagome imagined that such a youkai would've already shown up by now. It was nice that that hadn't happened. Granted, life in the Sengoku jidai wasn't _entirely _peaceful – it was called the 'Warring States' era for a reason, after all – but it was just about as peaceful as it could get, under the circumstances, and for that, she was grateful. Her friends deserved their 'happily ever after.' Of course, so did _she; _the thought brought a smile to her lips.

When her mission had first begun almost four years ago she'd wanted nothing more than to return to her old life in the future, but now, that life in the future was in her past, and _her _future _was_ the past. All she needed for her 'happily ever after' was to be by Inuyasha's side, and she said as much in that moment, confirming what Sango and Miroku had already known. She told them of how, although she really had missed all of them, it had been _Inuyasha _she hadn't been able to live without. She never wanted to leave his side again, even toying with the idea of sometimes going with the guys on an extermination job, although she realized she probably _would _have to stay at home most times. She would just miss Inuyasha while they were gone.

Sango sympathized with that notion, unable to accompany her husband herself because of their children, not that she regretted that decision for a second. She did indeed miss Miroku when he was gone, of course, although thankfully he usually wasn't gone for very long. At the prospect of Kagome one day joining Miroku and Inuyasha on an extermination job, Sango put the miko's concerns about leaving the village at those times to rest, explaining how she wasn't out of practice as a taijiya, despite her new role as a mother, and so the village wasn't left with Kaede as their sole defender whenever Miroku and Inuyasha were away. She still had Hiraikotsu and knew how to use it. In an emergency, she knew she could always leave the kids with their neighbors, say if bandits were attacking, or anybody else that Kaede was unable to handle on her own. Nothing bad had ever happened, _so far_, but it most certainly wasn't as if the village was left defenseless whenever Miroku and Inuyasha were both out of town.

Besides, it wasn't as if they were constantly on the road. They only went out on extermination jobs whenever somebody came seeking their aid. Word had spread far and wide of the hanyou and houshi pair by that point, and so it wasn't as if they'd go out for weeks at a time, wandering aimlessly in search of work. Work came to _them_. As Sango explained it, while most of the time Kagome would probably stay behind when somebody came seeking the pair, it certainly wouldn't hurt anything if she wanted to go with them on occasion, especially if the youkai sounded especially troublesome.

Discussing the various possibilities, Miroku also spoke up and said that for some of the longer missions, that were further away, it'd probably be better if Kagome and Inuyasha handled it themselves, just the two of them, since he never liked being away from Sango for _that _long, either, and so that way the village would also have the added protection of his presence to make up for her absence, if they worked it that way.

"Plus, days on the road alone with Inuyasha can get rather, shall we say, trying." the monk added.

"You mean you're always 'trying' his patience, and he's always 'trying' not to hit you." Shippou chimed in from his place beside the water bucket, setting the last daikon in the bowl to dry alongside the others.

Sango and Kagome both giggled.

Saying how relieved she was that they were all thinking along the same lines, since she'd rolled those very scenarios around in her head already, Kagome then added how it was all stuff she knew she still needed to discuss with Inuyasha, himself, and how she _did not _want any of them – she sent a knowing look Shippou's way – to say anything to Inuyasha before she'd had her chance to talk to him first.

"It's not like my feelings for him are a secret or anything, so you wouldn't really be blabbing anything he didn't already know, but some things should just be between the two of us, you know?"

Miroku opened his mouth to say something, his eyes twinkling with amusement, but before he could say anything Sango beat him to it, cutting him off with a reply of, "Of _course_, Kagome-chan, we completely agree and _will not_..." She sent a knowing look at her husband. "...meddle in your and Inuyasha's private affairs."

Miroku gulped at the serious look in his wife's eyes.

Kagome chuckled.

"Thank you for being so understanding." the miko stated, and it was at around that time that Rin finished up with the girls, so carefully handing Ichirou back to his mother Kagome bade her friends goodbye-for-now as the slayer and monk headed home with their three children.

"I'm taking you up on that offer for lunch and a bath!" Kagome called out, and Sango turned around from her place in the doorway.

"I'll make sure the food and water's ready." she said with a warm smile, and then they were gone.

All but Shippou, who'd stayed behind and was talking with Rin, but Kagome paid them little attention, getting back to her lessons with Kaede until it was time to break for lunch.

oooooooooo

_Man, that took longer than I wanted_... Inuyasha mentally grumbled as he made his way southwest through his forest back towards the village with a gutted doe slung over his shoulder. "And I still ain't done yet." he added aloud. "Feh."

During his border check he'd picked up the scent of a foreign, low-level youkai. Just a brainless thing, really, but he hadn't wanted to put off dealing with it and let it wander too close to town. Besides, _some _brainless youkai had a tendency to multiply quicker than you'd think, and so it was definitely better to take care of one sooner rather than later, before that _one_ turned into _twenty_.

That done, it'd been time to go deer hunting. At least that part hadn't taken as long, the childless doe much easier to track down _and _much easier to kill.

That lower youkai had been a pain in the ass.

Now, carrying his prize, Inuyasha headed through the trees until he came upon the river, and staying on the east side of the river for the time being he followed it south, towards the southern most edge of town, where Riku the leatherworker lived. Coming upon the spot where the river curved westward and headed out of the shelter of the trees, where it had been manipulated by humans to feed the paddy fields before continuing on its way southeast, Inuyasha stayed within the forest to stay out of sight, hearing all of the farmers at work and not wanting to deal with any of them spotting him and gossiping about what he was up to. Continuing to head downstream until he came upon his destination, the very last house at the village's southern border, he emerged through the treeline, then, and hopped across the river to the other side, forgoing the use of a bridge.

"Oi, Riku! Got a proposition for ya!" he called out as he literally descended upon the middle-aged man's property, his nose crinkling at the lingering stench in the air.

At least leather tanning didn't stink as bad as fabric dying. He stayed as far away from _those_ houses as possible.

"Inuyasha-sama?!" Riku asked, surprised by the hanyou's sudden appearance, as he looked up from tending to his humble but functional vegetable garden. His eyes widened even further at the sight of the deer held casually across the hanyou's shoulder.

"I need you to do me a favor, and you'll be well compensated." Inuyasha stated, setting the deer down carefully on its back.

"You...you need my _help?" _Riku asked in awe. He was still trying to wrap his mind around the fact that the inu-hanyou was even on his property, talking to him. Him! The leatherworker!

Inuyasha rolled his eyes at the man's reaction.

"Here's the deal. Usually whenever I bring in a catch for Miroku 'n' Sango or Kaede I gut 'n' skin it for 'em, but I let them handle the butcherin' part. I don't got a knife, and frankly, I don't give a shit what my own cuts of meat look like. But this deer, it's for a special occasion, for the headman's feast honoring Kagome's return-"

"Kagome-sama has returned to us?!"

Unperturbed by the interruption, Inuyasha grinned broadly, showing off his fangs.

"Yeah, she's back as of yesterday, and I told Haruto this morning I'd bring them deer meat for tonight. Just the meat, so that his wife and kids don't gotta deal with the butcherin' part. But I don't wanna screw up with improper cuts and have it look like I just ripped the meat apart, which is what I'd end up doin' if I tried it, so since I know _you _know how to properly butcher a game animal the human way I figured I'd let you do it for me, and as payment, you can keep the rest of the deer for yourself. Plenty of usable meat after the best cuts are gone, 'cause I don't need _all _the meat for tonight, plus I'm sure you'll get paid well for the hide on Market Day. I made sure to keep it nice for you."

Absorbing everything the hanyou said, Riku felt both humbled and exuberated that Inuyasha was asking such a favor of him, and didn't feel put out by the unexpected request in the slightest. Quite frankly, he felt the hanyou's payment in return for a simple butcher job was very generous. Almost _too _generous. Just cut out the best pieces of meat for the headman's family and then he got to keep the scrap meat _and _the hide to tan and sell for his own profit? It was too much. But, on the other hand, it was for Kagome-sama's return, and he knew how important _that _was. These cuts of meat had to be _perfect_. He really was the best qualified.

He bowed low.

"I am most honored, Inuyasha-sama, that you would entrust me with such an important task. I shall get to work at once."

Inuyasha nodded his head some in return when Riku met his eyes, and then he let the man tell him where he wanted the animal placed, moving the deer to Riku's workstation for him as a courtesy. Once the deer was where Riku wanted it Inuyasha backed off to let the man work in peace, as he immediately went to work skinning the animal. Heading back to the river, Inuyasha used the time to get cleaned up after his multiple kills, shaking himself dry afterwards. He then headed back within the treeline so as not to disturb the man as he worked, observing casually from his perch in a tall tree on the other side of the river. Inuyasha supposed he could have stayed and watched, maybe even learning a thing or two, but it wasn't really _that _important and to be perfectly honest, he was a little embarrassed.

If it were just the group of them in Kaede's hut, Inuyasha knew his butchering skills would be overlooked, even if he were the one who'd prepared the meat. After all, the most important thing was that he'd provided the meat in the first place, right? He didn't feel that the cuts had to be perfect for Kagome's sake, knowing _she_ didn't care about such trivial things, and so for that reason he didn't feel inadequate in that regard, as if he'd needed Riku's help where Kagome was concerned. He just didn't want to embarrass himself in front of Haruto and his family by showing up with something that looked like a dog had ripped it to pieces. He hadn't thought about it at the time, when he'd made his offer to the headman that he'd provide the cuts of meat already butchered; he'd realized on his way back to Miroku's house that he'd put his foot in his mouth and had immediately started formulating a plan to get himself out of the corner he'd backed himself into. He had openly asked his friends about it that morning, unashamed nowadays to admit to needing their help in such a way, since Sango certainly also knew her way around large game animals and he'd figured she could save his butt by doing the butchering for him. It'd actually been the slayer who'd recommended Inuyasha go with Riku, instead, as a favor to the lonely man who could certainly benefit from the hide but was much too proud to accept the gift of a hide outright as an actual act of charity. He'd have felt insulted if Inuyasha had had Sango butcher the deer and then he'd brought him the hide just as a present, without having earned it. They definitely wanted the hide tanned, too; it would have been disrespectful to the deer itself to let some of its body go to waste, and while Sango also knew how to tan leather, it just hadn't made sense to the slayer for her to do it when they had a resident leatherworker who actually tanned hides for a living. This way, they could help the poor man out while letting him do them a favor in return, to save his honor. Riku didn't have much, but he had his _pride_, and that was something Inuyasha could definitely understand.

It didn't really take that long, although to the impatient hanyou it felt like an eternity. Finally, when Riku called out that he was finished, Inuyasha reemerged from the treeline and hopped back across the river. Riku's eyes widened at how effortless he'd made such a feat appear, but refrained from commenting, and Inuyasha gratefully accepted the small collection of tightly wrapped bundles he presented him with. Lacking the refrigeration he had learned about in Kagome's world, Inuyasha knew he couldn't dawdle, and so thanking Riku for a job well done he then quickly took his leave, heading straight for the headman's compound.

Kazue was delighted to accept the packs of meat from the hanyou when he arrived, already having thought of a few slow-cooking recipes that would work out perfectly for that evening's celebration. She'd get to work on them right away.

Getting out of there as soon as he could, with the promise of returning with Kagome at the scheduled time, Inuyasha excused himself then and made a mad dash for Kaede's house, sighing in relief to _finally_ be finished with his morning tasks, knowing he'd probably missed lunch by that point. A quick stop outside the elderly miko's dwelling told the hanyou's nose that Kagome wasn't there, and following her scent trail he was unsurprised to find that it led him right back to the monk and slayer's house. He was surprised, however, to find said monk sitting outside, looking bored as he leaned against the side of his house like he was waiting for something, Shippou sitting beside him, doodling Kanji in the dirt with a stick.

"How's this?" Shippou asked as Inuyasha approached.

Miroku looked down at the symbols the fox kit had just drawn.

"Very good, Shippou." he complimented seriously.

Inuyasha gazed down at the Kanji in question and rolled his eyes. He didn't know very much Kanji, but he recognized _those _symbols. They were the purifying blessing Miroku used on his ofuda. The words themselves were harmless to youkai without a reiki charge to back them up, which explained why Shippou could draw them without incident. It was just like how Kagome's grandfather's ofuda were also harmless. He mentally chuckled at the memory. But thinking about it in that moment, there was only one reason he could think of for why _Shippou _needed to learn to write such scripts.

"Feh, what're ya doin', bouzu? Teaching the runt how to make ofuda so that he can use his fox magic to trick people with fake exorcisms? Didn't think even _you'd _go _that _far." He snorted, half disappointed, half amused.

Shippou's eyes lit up.

"What a great idea!" he chimed in.

Miroku met Inuyasha's eyes with a deadpan expression at the hanyou's look of confusion.

"For your information, Inuyasha, I was merely teaching Shippou how to draw ofuda so that he could assist me with making a stockpile of new ones, seeing as life as a busy father has taken away from the many uninterrupted hours in which I could have previously put ink to paper."

Inuyasha didn't know what to say to that, but before he could think of something, a snickering Shippou ran up to him and jumped up on his shoulder.

"That's what he thinks." Shippou said, voice too low for the human man to hear. "Sure I'll help him out, but I was _totally _already gonna do what you said, too. Like I really wouldn't have already thought of that." he laughed.

With that, Shippou jumped down from Inuyasha's shoulder and ran into the hut, Inuyasha shaking his head with an exasperated sigh. He moved to follow, then, but Miroku, who'd risen to his feet, held out his hand in a friendly gesture to stop.

Inuyasha met his gaze, the silent question coming off loud and clear.

"Alas, but I'm afraid only women and children are presently permitted within my four walls." Miroku explained.

Inuyasha raised an eyebrow at that, and took a long, deep sniff. Kagome was definitely inside, as were Sango and the kids. There was also a good deal of water. Much more than just the normal water bucket. Ah. The bathtub.

"Keh." he said then, moving to lean against the house beside Miroku.

"Kit said he'd already thought of that, by the way, and was already going to trick people with the ofuda. I didn't give him the idea." Inuyasha said for something to say.

"Oh, it hadn't been lost on me that the thought might cross Shippou's mind, but I had certainly not condoned such an act, nor had I agreed to help the boy for that sole purpose."

"So long as you can sleep at night."

"You know Shippou means well. He would never take a prank _too_ far."

Inuyasha reached up and rubbed the back of his head.

"Suppose that's true, unless _I'm _his target." he said. He sighed.

How much longer was this going to take? He wanted to be with Kagome, damn it!

As if reading his mind, the miko's lovely voice called out to them in that moment.

"Okay, you two can come in!" she said from inside the hut.

"Finally." Inuyasha grumbled quietly as he turned and made his way inside, not even waiting for Miroku.

Inuyasha paused for a moment in surprise at the sight of Kagome in miko robes, but quickly brushed it off. She'd just bathed, after all, and she only had the one outfit, which was dirty and needed to be washed. This wasn't the first time she'd changed into miko's robes from necessity after a bath.

_Damn it, why does everything keep reminding me of that time at the river?_

If they were alone, he'd have been half-tempted to walk up to Kagome and tell her to take the robes off, and when she made a grab for her futuristic clothes, he would've said in a sultry voice, 'I didn't say get back in your weird clothes, just get naked.'

_Yeah_..._that would've been a smooth line, especially after last night_. _Oh well_..._like I would've really had the balls to say that, anyway_...

Sighing almost inaudibly, he made his way the rest of the way inside and plopped himself down by the firepit before politely – for him – asking Sango if there was any leftover lunch.

While Sango prepared the leftovers she had indeed sat aside for him, Kagome chewed nervously on her lower lip while going through the motions of brushing her hair, her concentration elsewhere as she watched Inuyasha accept his food and begin to eat. She hadn't missed his initial shock upon seeing her in miko clothing, and wondered now if maybe just up and changing into the robes without telling him about her decision first had been a mistake. Did seeing her in miko robes still bother him as it once had? She'd been so caught up worrying about whether or not the local villagers would be okay with her being their miko while also being with Inuyasha that she hadn't even considered how _he'd _feel. Would it bother him if she were to take on the role of village miko? Would it trigger too many unpleasant memories?

As if reading her mind, which he probably had in a way, since his nose and ears had both informed him of how nervous she suddenly was, Inuyasha looked up from his rice bowl in that moment and rolled his eyes at Kagome's obvious discomfiture.

"Keh, if you're worried all of a sudden that seein' you in those robes gave me a Kikyou flashback, knock that shit off right now. I got over her a _long _time ago..." he emphasized, meaning to remind Kagome of how he'd resolved his feelings for the dead miko even before their three-year separation. "I ain't stupid," he continued then, "and know damn well that you had to change into something clean after your bath. We'll work on getting you some regular clothes, but in the meantime, you look fine, so quit your worryin'."

Kagome relaxed tremendously at his words and sent him a grateful smile, concentrating on the task at hand a little better, then, as she got the last few tangles out of her hair.

"I'm so glad to hear you say that," she said; "I hadn't been sure at first if it would bother you, me wearing the robes, but since it doesn't, now I'm not afraid to tell you the news."

That said, Kagome immediately turned and put her hairbrush away in her backpack, missing the momentary look of nervous confusion that flashed across Inuyasha's visage. With Sango and Miroku tending to their children, neither of them noticed his momentary look of worry, either.

"Kaede-baa-chan asked me what I wanted to do with myself, career-wise." Kagome began as she took a seat near Inuyasha by the firepit.

She wished she could be more in-depth regarding how Kaede had assured her the villagers wouldn't object to them being together with her also functioning as a miko, but she knew how embarrassed Inuyasha got around their friends if things became too emotionally charged, so she'd have to tread lightly. She hadn't exactly asked the guy to marry her yet, anyway, although if last night was anything to go by, they both knew where their hearts resided. The words were still unspoken, but she knew that he still loved her very much, and she was sure he must know that she felt the same way. She had come back to be with _him_, first and foremost.

"I told her the truth," she said then, "that I hadn't really given it much thought." She took his blank expression for merely listening to her reasoning, and so she continued, as if giving a sales pitch regarding why it was the right decision. "She told me the choice was mine, but that if I wanted to, she wanted to train me as her apprentice. The more I thought about it, the more it just didn't seem right _not _to, you know? I mean, I've got all these powers, so I should use them, shouldn't I? I mean obviously I _will _if the village is ever under attack, that goes without saying, but why not learn the rituals while I'm at it? I was going to be a shrine miko back at my family's home, anyway. I was born to be a miko. I was born to be the _Shikon _miko, and I think the villagers already see me in that light, anyway, so it should be official, I think. Would that be all right with you? Kaede-baa-chan assured me there's no conflict of interests."

She blushed as she said that last part, looking away shyly, completely missing the confused, pained look that flashed in Inuyasha's eyes. Sango and Miroku had ushered the kids and Shippou into the back room by that point to give the couple some privacy, so nobody was witness to the misunderstanding that was quickly forming in the hanyou's mind.

_There's_ ..._there's no conflict of interests_..._? What the hell does __**that**__ mean? I_..._I thought she_...

Trying not to panic, Inuyasha did a quick mental inventory of the last twenty-four hours. Was it possible he'd misread her this whole time? He could have _sworn _he'd seen that look in her eyes, that look of love, that reflected the love he felt for her in his own heart, but...but miko couldn't be married. That couldn't be what she'd meant by conflict of interests. Kaede wouldn't have sanctioned Kagome being a miko if the two of them were actually _together, _there's no way. No, she must have just been referring to their friendship, as it'd always been. Kikyou had kept him at a distance, feeling that even too close a friendship with him would have been improper, but Kagome wasn't Kikyou and she wasn't going to let being a miko hurt their friendship, _that _was what she'd meant. Had to be. There was no way she... If she was so openly discussing her decision to train under Kaede as an official shrine miko then she _couldn't _have been thinking that they would... She couldn't have wanted...

_I'm a fucking idiot_...

Still, though, he had already sworn to himself that even if she didn't feel that way about him anymore, even if all she wanted from him was friendship, it was still a thousand, no, a _million _times better than life without Kagome at all. He had gotten his hopes up after last night, but originally, his plan had been to tread lightly until he knew where her heart resided. He'd known it was possible she didn't feel that way anymore, and he'd wanted to make sure he _knew _where her heart lied before saying or doing anything that could have embarrassed him. He was glad he now had his answer. The old him might have gotten hurt to the point of getting angry, of cussing her out and storming away, but he wasn't that childish or foolish any longer, and he would _definitely _rather have her as a friend than not at all. It would be hard, but he would do his best to remain grateful of the simple fact that she had returned to him. Them. She had returned to _them_. Apparently it really _had_ been all of them together and her life here that she'd simply wanted to return to, choosing life in his world generally speaking over life in her birth time, but for that decision he would be eternally grateful. If what she wanted to do in his time was be a shrine miko, then who was he to tell her no? Sure, she had asked him if it would be all right with him, but he knew she was probably just thinking about whether or not she'd look like Kikyou to him, whether or not seeing her as a miko day in and day out would be too weird, bringing back bad memories. That certainly wouldn't be the case, and he wouldn't let her think otherwise. It would be too easy to pretend that _that _was the reason he didn't want her to be a miko, but pretending she looked like Kikyou to him was only guaranteed to blow up in his face, and erase any possibility of her falling for him again as time went on. If she'd fallen for him once, then she could do it again, right? And he'd been such a dick to her in the beginning, yet she'd fallen for him anyway. Getting her to fall in love with him again would be easy. Maybe. One could hope.

_I was such a selfish bastard back in the beginning_... he thought then, remembering the countless times they'd argued, fighting over how many times she could return to her world, or how many days she could be gone. Fighting over whether or not her schooling was more important than the jewel quest. Fighting for the sake of fighting, really. That was all they'd ever done, back in the beginning, but that was years ago and he wasn't that same selfish bastard anymore. He was a bastard, but not quite _that_ selfish, and her happiness really _was_ more important to him than his own. She'd given up so much. She'd given up practically _everything_.There would be no more going back to her world, now; no more bartering for how many days she could remain there. There were no more tests, and most importantly, no mother for her to run to, no shoulder to cry on when he pushed her buttons too far. So he wouldn't argue with her over this. He wouldn't demand that she not become an official miko of the village. He would have to go kick Shippou's ass later in private, but he would never let Kagome know how much this tore at him.

Looking back on it, he was now extremely grateful that Hideaki and Yumiko had interrupted them last night, or else he'd have made a total and utter fool of himself when he would've moved in for the kiss only for Kagome to have to politely let him down, explaining with pity in her eyes that she only wanted to be friends. He never, ever wanted to see her looking at him with _that_ expression.

That thought had him realizing he had better say something fucking quick or else she'd realize he'd been way too quiet for way too long. Noticing he hadn't yet finished all his rice, he quickly shoveled in another mouthful, both buying himself some time as well as trying to articulate aloofness because he typically didn't eat whenever he got too upset.

"Keh...sounds like a good idea to me." he answered at long last, after swallowing his rice.

Trying oh-so-hard to ignore the pain in his heart at the thought of never having Kagome the way he wanted her, he allowed himself to feel genuine pride in regard to the girl's accomplishments and abilities, as he finally gave her the honest praise she'd deserved three years ago.

"Fuck, Kagome, your spiritual powers are the strongest I've ever felt. _Ever_. You totally kicked Naraku's ass, not to mention the jewel itself. You're right that you were born to be a miko, and no, it won't bother me seeing you in those robes."

_It'll be a reminder of what I can't have, but let her think I'm talking about Kikyou_ ...

"You are Ka-go-me, the Shikon miko." he emphasized then. "You have the biggest heart, the kindest soul I know. The villagers will be _lucky _to have you as their miko."

She beamed at him at his words, the look in her eyes the happiest he could recall seeing in a very long time, if ever.

Even happier than yesterday.

Of course, that was because the miko thought her future husband had just given her his stamp of approval regarding her career choice. She was completely unaware of the sacrifice he believed he had just made.

"Come on..." she said then, rising to her feet. "There's so much more we still need to discuss...in private."

Missing her mischievous smirk and therefore not really looking forward to discussing the details, but also not about to argue with her because it would go against his silent vow to remain friendly towards her, Inuyasha rose to go with her in that moment, but their would-be moment of privacy before tonight's celebration was interrupted before it even began when, as Kagome pulled the door mat aside to exit Miroku and Sango's hut, she was greeted by the sight of a few happily waving neighbors headed rapidly in their direction.

"Oh boy...so much for alone time." Kagome muttered dryly, sighing loudly, although outwardly she kept her smile firmly in place, waving merrily in return.

Inuyasha didn't have time to comment before they were accosted.

"Oh, Kagome-sama! Kagome-sama!"

_And so it begins_... Inuyasha thought, sighing as well as he followed Kagome outside while she greeted the villagers. He wouldn't be a very good 'protector' if he didn't at least keep an eye on her, after all.

He sensed Miroku coming up behind him but didn't respond, even as the houshi clapped him on the shoulder.

"This too shall pass, my friend." Miroku said as he observed with sympathetic eyes the way his neighbors had just latched themselves onto their precious Kagome, verbally if not physically, asking her question after question and making it very apparent they had no intention of letting up any time soon.

"Feh, it's just gettin' started." Inuyasha complained. "In a few hours there's the feast."

"True, but then after that, the newness will start to fade, and then I'm sure you and Kagome-sama will be able to find ample time with which to escape, just the two of you."

_To do what, discuss her miko training? _Inuyasha thought bitterly, although he thought better of saying such a thing out loud.

"Keh."

Satisfied, Miroku headed past the hanyou to intercept the next wave of locals making their way up the road. Kagome, seeing where Miroku was headed and who was approaching, had to force herself to maintain her smile. She didn't begrudge the villagers their desire to see her for themselves, but couldn't the universe have done her a tiny little favor and let her escape with Inuyasha for their much-needed talk? Then again, she supposed the universe had just done her a _huge _favor, letting her return to the past and all.

_Beggars can't be choosers_... she told herself then, as she mumbled a quick blessing for the elderly woman who just asked her to give her a blessing.

At least having some of the villagers come to her now meant that things would be less hectic at tonight's feast...right?

She suppressed another sigh.

It was going to be a _long _night.


	8. Whatever we deny or embrace

Chapter 8 – Whatever we deny or embrace, for worse or for better...

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Inuyasha's mood continued to deteriorate as the evening progressed. As word of Kagome's return continued to spread throughout the village like a wildfire it became one well-wisher after the other, practically non-stop, out front the monk and slayer's house. Shippou had even joked that they should've been charging admission.

Shippou.

He'd deal with _that _runt later.

_'She came back for you, you know_..._' _Inuyasha mock-repeated in his head, remembering the kitsune's words.

At least he didn't feel quite so bad for being a complete idiot and missing the signs, if Shippou had also been under the impression Kagome had come back to be with him. That was better, the hanyou relented, than everyone else being completely aware of the fact that Kagome only saw him as a friend, and Shippou making fun of him for having thought otherwise. As much as Shippou liked to tease and trick him, he didn't think even _he _would have gone so far as to deliberately tell him how obvious Kagome's affections were just to make him think so, to make him make a move and humiliate himself. No, Shippou was a jokester, but he wasn't _that_ , Inuyasha was glad that in the hustle and bustle of seemingly half the village coming and going Shippou had had the good grace to leave him be, not trying to make amends. Even a sincere apology for being wrong would've been rubbing salt in the wound at that point. Right now, all Inuyasha wanted to do was stay by Kagome's side and make sure none of the villagers got _too _close.

She was still his to protect, after all, and so if things got too overwhelming for Kagome all she had to do was give him the word and he'd whisk her out of there.

Unlike the old him, though, he understood that it'd be rude to snub the villagers like that, and unlike the old him he actually gave a rat's ass about being rude those days, especially since the villagers weren't exactly overlooking him as they fawned all over her, calling him '-sama' just as many times as they did her. For the first time in his life he was _liked _by a whole village full of humans. Hell, more than just like him they considered him _above _them, even knowing that he was a hanyou! There was no misunderstanding; they didn't _honestly _think he was a forest spirit. They knew he was half youkai, half human, but he was still their hero, and they still considered his status above theirs. The _last_ thing he wanted to do was get on anyone's bad side and screw it all up.

Before too long, though, it _was _time to excuse themselves, so that they wouldn't be late for dinner with the headman and his family. A perfectly legitimate excuse that nobody found rude in the slightest. And so that was how Inuyasha found himself and Kagome, along with Sango, Miroku, their children and Shippou, all making their way down to the headman's compound with a parade of happily gushing villagers trailing after them.

Haruto, having apparently anticipated such a scene upon the Inu-tachi's arrival at his gate, greeted the villagers at the street with a well-rehearsed speech praising the kami for Kagome's safe return to them. He didn't even seem surprised to see her dressed in miko garb, as if that were what she'd been wearing all along, instead of her weird, futuristic clothes.

_Did everybody know but me?_ Inuyasha wondered, forlorn, although he didn't say or do anything to interrupt the headman's speech.

After officially welcoming Kagome among them, Haruto then instructed the villagers to bring whatever offerings they chose, if they so chose, declaring that evening an auspicious night of celebration for one and all. With many cheers and exclamations of joy, the villagers departed, some with the mindset of having their own celebrations at home while others started work putting together gift bundles for their blessed miko. Much saké would be shared this night.

It didn't take long for the actual feast to get underway, the guests of honor led to an outdoor covered table that was large enough to seat the headman's entire extended family. Everyone who lived within the compound was present. Children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren... Inuyasha didn't bother taking a headcount, but there were a lot of them; at least two dozen if you counted all the little ones. He was glad the youngest children were with their mothers at the opposite end of the table, Shippou agreeing to keep an eye on the twins as they joined the children's area as well so that their end of the table could remain the 'adult' section, sans little Ichirou of course, although so far the baby was sleeping quietly on his mother's back. Inuyasha didn't really mind Sango's kids, but he really wasn't in the mood to deal with other people's children at the moment. Especially after the way so many of them had already been fawning all over Kagome back at Miroku's house, calling her 'Miko-sama' instead of by name. He understood that it was more respectful, but it was also a reminder he really didn't need at the moment.

Instead, Inuyasha tried to concentrate on the food. It really was delicious. The women had really gone all out with the meal preparation, Kazue having been assisted by her daughter-in-laws and granddaughters, everyone making their own dishes to include in tonight's celebration. There were rice dishes, and stews, and grilled skewers, savory and sweet dumplings, several types of pickles... the list went on and on. Somebody had even made noodles, although nothing would ever compare to ramen. Inuyasha noticed pretty quickly that his deer had been incorporated into a great number of things, although not all of them, but since Kagome was served third, following only after the headman and himself, Inuyasha nodded in satisfaction to see that she was getting the best of the best.

Noticing his satisfied expression as she got ready to start eating, Kagome glanced down at her plate and made a subtle gesture towards the meat, her eyes inquisitive. He nodded confirmation, and she smiled in answer, mumbling a quick prayer under her breath for the deer's soul before immediately taking a bite. It was delicious, of course, and that he had gone out of his way to have his hand in tonight's menu, the miko was truly grateful. Honestly, Kagome was really proud of how maturely Inuyasha was behaving all the way around, all things considered. She hadn't been able to miss the way he'd closed himself off as soon as all those people had shown up at Miroku and Sango's house, not that she could really blame him. It had completely eaten away at the free time they otherwise would have had to themselves before tonight's celebration, and she knew how he felt about crowds in general, never mind a crowd that had just interrupted their plans. That he had just stood there quietly and let her play hostess to the impromptu gathering, not telling anybody to leave them 'the hell' alone as he stormed away, it really hit home for the future-born miko that Inuyasha _did _acknowledge and take seriously his new status among the locals. Now hopefully later tonight, after everyone had gotten it out of their system, she and Inuyasha could _finally _have a moment's peace and quiet.

Resisting the urge to show any frustration on her face at the thought, Kagome continued to smile warmly as she ate the delicious food, truly appreciative of the headman and his family for putting such a fabulous meal together.

It didn't take long for the saké to start flowing, and not wanting to be rude Kagome accepted one cup, with no intention of having any more after that. She sipped it slowly, contented to sit back and listen with an amused grin as some of the men who'd already had _more _than one cup began regaling her with boisterous tales of Inuyasha's periodic heroics in her absence. The hanyou by her side, who had declined the offer of saké, had a flush on his cheeks that would have onlookers believing otherwise, but he didn't get up and storm away despite his embarrassment at suddenly becoming the center of attention, and sympathizing, Kagome reached over and gave his arm a gentle, friendly pat on the shoulder in a show of moral support.

There was really nothing to be embarrassed about, after all. That large piles of cut firewood had 'mysteriously' appeared in the center of town overnight the winter before last, with Miroku instructed to spread the warning that a very harsh snow storm was fast approaching and everyone needed to get prepared, that was the sort of trick a local protector spirit was supposed to do, wasn't it? Or when the blacksmith's youngest grandson had slipped on a wet rock and hit his head while trying to catch a fish, and Inuyasha had come running at the other boys' screams, retrieving the disoriented child from the river and setting him carefully on the grass, making sure he was breathing and not seriously hurt, all before any adults had even made it to the scene...what else _should _he have done? How was being thanked for saving the boy's life embarrassing? Kagome felt that the villagers were well within their rights to praise him, and he just needed to get over it.

Miroku, who had also decided to indulge in the headman's saké, was no help when he started telling stories about his and Inuyasha's occasional travels, and some of the more impressive youkai they'd faced off against together over the last three years. Inuyasha was just about at his breaking point, which of course earned a quiet giggle from the mildly tipsy miko, but apparently not quiet enough for the kami not to hear and pay her back for it because it was then that somebody asked _Kagome_ to tell them a story, about a youkai that _she'd _faced off against, and flashing a quick look of panic Inuyasha's way she made a mental note to smack him later for the smug grin he sent her in return.

Thinking quickly, and deciding that even though it'd be sweet revenge for that grin of his she would _not _contribute to his previous embarrassment by telling any number of stories that could have portrayed him in a less flattering light – something she would make sure he knew he was required to thank her for later – Kagome decided in that moment to tell one of the few stories from their quest days that didn't involve Inuyasha. No youkai she'd ever faced off against was more fearsome than Naraku, so he was definitely her foe in the tale; what she told was an edited version of her encounter with Hitomiko, and how she had been able to find a way out of Naraku's trap while also saving the undead miko's soul.

The story went over well enough, and then once it was finished somebody else asked Kagome to tell them a tale of something that'd happened back in her homeland. The vast majority of the villagers only understood that Kagome had come to them from some other strange land, not really aware that it was their own future, even for those who knew she had arrived via the Bone-Eater's Well. Sure, she was Kikyou's reincarnation, but since fifty years had already past nobody thought anything of it. She could've been born and raised in their very own village and still been Kikyou's reincarnation. Thinking it'd be best to avoid talking about her old homeland in any detail, Kagome tried to play it off that the land where she'd been born was actually rather boring, admitting that nobody else that she knew of had any spiritual powers such as her own, nor were any such powers required because there were also no youkai threats, which she stated had helped her to realize that she hadn't been meant for that world but that instead, she was meant for _their_ world, which was why she had chosen to return to them, returning to where she belonged. That bit of information was quite the crowd pleaser, to say the least.

It didn't take long for the conversation to drift in a different direction, smaller conversations among two or three people sprouting up here and there while somebody at the table told a joke the people nearest to him listened to with rapt attention. It was around this time that one by one, other families from the village began descending upon them, albeit politely; people who had not yet already said their personal hellos to Kagome. Excusing herself in that moment as she stepped away from the table – she couldn't eat another bite by that point, anyway – Kagome quickly moved into a more central location on the family grounds, near the main house, so that she could better greet the incoming barrage of villagers, Inuyasha loyally by her side throughout the entire process. He was actually glad for the excuse to get away from the dinner table at that point, so standing guard while she accepted gifts and well-wishes from the rest of the villagers who hadn't already bade her welcome was a welcome divergence, truth be told.

Yes, it was hard listening to the lower class villagers refer to her as 'Miko-sama' instead of by name, and for a split second he'd found himself regretting his honesty when he'd initially told her that seeing her in the robes themselves didn't bother him anymore, because if he'd had any foresight and had told her instead that he couldn't stand the thought of her in miko garb this whole mess never would have happened, but then the longer he thought about it the more he knew she'd have been miserable if he had argued against her desire to train under Kaede, and the last thing he wanted to do was make Kagome believe that she had to choose between their friendship and her career. What else was a single girl from a foreign land and with no family supposed to do with herself if not become a shrine miko?

He wouldn't ask _Miroku _that question, knowing what would be the pervert's answer. He had to suppress the desire to growl just thinking about it, and suddenly found himself _very _grateful for the fact that theirs was a humble farming village with no such _facilities _for orphaned women. He'd take Kagome being a miko a thousand times over _that _alternative.

_Although, at least __then__ I bet I would have gotten to_...

He shook his head rapidly to clear it.

_**So **__not finishing that thought! _

Grabbing his mind by the back of its throat and forcefully hauling it out of the gutter, he brought his awareness back into the here and now just in time to realize Kagome was looking at him worriedly for the way he'd just seemingly shook his head in aggravation. Even a few of the villagers were looking at him cautiously, as if afraid they had offended him somehow.

He blushed, and decided to go with a harmless white lie that would excuse his obvious embarrassment.

"Sorry...fly got in my ear."

That turned out to be a perfectly believable thing to say, for the villagers, as they nodded their understanding and quickly got back to practically worshiping Kagome, although if the way said miko only paid them half attention as she passed him a few more concerned glances was any indication then _she _had apparently not fallen for his fib. He'd worry about that later, though, seeing as there was currently a seemingly endless stream of people for Kagome to meet and greet. She would be busy for a long while yet, and then hopefully as the night progressed she'd either forget about it or at least decide to let it go.

Wondering just what it was Inuyasha had been thinking about, because she knew shaking oneself out of unwanted fantasies when she saw it, Kagome did indeed decide to let it go in that moment, deciding his thoughts had probably been something along the lines of wishing they were anywhere other than where they currently were. For that, she couldn't blame him, and knew it obviously wasn't something he could voice aloud in mixed company, so since the villagers had bought his excuse about an insect – even though she knew his hearing was so sharp he'd hear one coming a mile away and have his ears flattened to keep it out long before it was in range – she wouldn't say anything to call him on his lie. This was just a one time thing, a one-night-only event, and then neither of them would ever have to worry about it ever again. They could get through this.

Glancing briefly at the nearly full moon as it slowly crept above the houses, Kagome mentally sighed, and then made sure her 'polite hostess' smile was firmly in place as she greeted the next family to approach.

oooooooooo

_Well, at least we've got plenty of food to last us a while_... Kagome thought, trying to see the positive side of an evening wasted as she, Inuyasha and Shippou all carried armloads of food and other gifts courtesy of the villagers back to Kaede's. Some things she had tried to leave with the headman, trying to make it a payment of sorts for that fabulous dinner, but Haruto wouldn't hear of it, absolutely refusing as he insisted that anything she left at his home he'd merely have somebody take to Kaede's in the morning.

At that moment Kagome wondered why she hadn't taken him up on the indirect offer, since trying to get it all to Kaede's themselves was a bit of a balancing act. Miroku and Sango would have helped, but they already had their hands full, the slayer and monk each carefully cradling a sleeping two-year-old, Sango's burden made doubly precious by the sleeping infant strapped to her back. Ichirou had woken earlier, while Kagome had been entertaining the hoards of villagers that had come to see her, and so the baby was fed, changed, and ready to hopefully be settled into bed without waking.

"We'll sort through everything in the morning." Kagome whispered to the married couple so as not to wake the children, when they reached the westbound cutoff along the main road that led to Sango and Miroku's house.

They had already agreed that they would split some of the food, seeing as there was far too much, Kagome felt, for her, Inuyasha, Kaede and Rin to go through it all before some of it spoiled. And she and Inuyasha weren't the only heroes, after all. She was just the missing one from their group who'd finally shown back up. Miroku and Sango had already received their thank-you gifts from the other villagers, but as far as Kagome was concerned, if the offerings were all hers now, then that meant she could do whatever she wanted with them, and she wanted to share them with her friends. The food offerings, anyway. A lot of the village's crafters had also given her tokens of their wares. She wouldn't forget how humble Riku had looked when he'd shown up at the end of the line, bowing the lowest, before presenting her with a really well made leather sagemono pouch, like the kind she knew Inuyasha carried his tinder in. She'd sincerely thanked the leatherworker, knowing the pouch would definitely come in handy. A couple of the village's best weavers had also gifted Kagome with lengths of fabric, no doubt from their collection of bolts they normally sold on Market Day, based on the intricacy of the patterns. The fabric, Kagome _really_ appreciated. She couldn't wear miko robes _all _the time, after all. She'd definitely need to learn how to sew.

"We'll come by some time after breakfast." Miroku whispered in reply, pulling the miko from her wandering thoughts, before he and Sango turned left, departing from their friends as they headed home for the night, the miko, hanyou and kitsune continuing north on their way to Kaede's house.

After a few minutes of silence, Kagome spoke again.

"Man...after this crazy evening, what I wouldn't give to get away from the village for a night."

She figured the hint was beyond obvious enough for Inuyasha to pick up on. Shippou had certainly gotten her not-so-hidden meaning, as he cast her a sideways glance, the boy walking beside her currently using his fox magic to make himself adult size so that he could more easily carry the large basket of fruit in his embrace.

They shared a silent, knowing look, that was missed by the hanyou walking a couple of paces ahead of the duo.

"Keh, better get used to it. As village miko you'll need to be available to your people all hours of the day and night." he said without looking back.

Kagome and Shippou both paused, surprised by his reply, and then both remaining silent, they quickly resumed walking again. The kitsune sent Kagome a questioning look, but she shook her head, and frowning, he nodded, agreeing to abide by her wishes and stay quiet.

_Whatever happens between Kagome and Inuyasha, it's between Kagome and Inuyasha_... the kitsune told himself, knowing that he didn't really have to worry about Inuyasha screwing things up _too _badly since Kagome wasn't waiting for him to make the first move anymore; she was just waiting for the right opportunity so that _she _could.

Said miko lightly bit her lower lip in thought at Inuyasha's words, unsure of how to take them. If his tone had been notably sarcastic she would have assumed he was upset with her for some reason, and even beyond that, that he was upset with her desire to become village miko, but his tone had been calm, amiable even, and his words themselves had certainly been true enough. He'd almost sounded more like a professor explaining what all their student's chosen career path would entail. And the way he'd referred to the villagers as _her _people... It reminded her of the way he'd already called them _his _villagers, since he was their resident youkai protector. They were _his _to protect, just as _she _was, although she knew she meant more to him than the rest of them did. She knew that where _she _was concerned, it was about far more than mere inu-youkai protective instincts. But still, it got her thinking about the two of them as a team, the two of them together more or less adopting the village as _theirs_. He, the mighty forest youkai, and she, the Shikon miko, choosing to call this village their home. The villagers were _theirs _to protect.

When you looked at it _that _way, she supposed her statement could have implied that she hadn't cared, that she'd grown weary of dealing with other people and had wanted to escape, to abandon her duties, and after only one night, no less. What kind of a miko _was _she? But surely he would have known that hadn't really been what she'd meant if he'd only gotten what she _had _meant, right? Apparently, his mind was currently elsewhere. Or so she thought.

In fact, Inuyasha knew that while he might be a bit slow at times he wasn't _that _slow, and the fact that Kagome apparently wanted to get away with him for the night, alone, just the two of them, had been pretty damn obvious. What he didn't immediately understand, though, was why. He knew she preferred the creature comforts of a hut rather than sleeping out in the woods. She'd made enough of a fuss about it back on the shard hunt. So why choose to stay out in the woods, then? Especially when the nights were still so cold. Just to finally be able to talk in private? It couldn't be _that _important; surely whatever she had to say could wait until morning at that point. Why do tonight what you could put off till tomorrow, right? Honestly, he just didn't want to deal with it at the moment. So he'd let her tell him all about her plans and desires involving her miko training in the morning. The things she hoped she could learn. The things she couldn't wait for Kaede to teach her. Maybe, if the fates were feeling especially cruel, she could even tell him how she'd since realized his feelings for her were still there, and he'd get to listen to her apologize and say how she just didn't love him 'like that' anymore but she hoped they could still be friends.

He was pulled from his spiraling thoughts when Kagome spoke back up again, the miko apparently not so willing to take his brush off for what it was.

"That's true...I know that. I didn't mean we should go _far_..." she said, explaining that it wasn't really abandoning her duties that she'd had in mind. "But we've had so little time to ourselves, and the interruptions should finally be over with, now. Wouldn't you like to get away for the night?"

_There_... Kagome thought, satisfied. _No way to misunderstand __that_... She just had talking and snuggling in mind, but even if he thought she meant something more...well...she'd only promised herself that _she _wouldn't push things too far too quickly, in case he wasn't ready and would regret it afterwards, but she most certainly wouldn't turn him down if _he _were the one who braved doing the pushing.

Inuyasha fumbled for a split second, but quickly caught himself, the move so fast and subtle that Kagome's mortal eyes hadn't caught it. Knowing she wouldn't have seen his misstep, he was grateful the miko was behind him, and therefore couldn't see his shocked expression and heated cheeks. While a part of him would love to believe that she meant what the nasty little part of himself that lived in the darkest corner of his mind _wished_ she meant, he knew that wasn't the case, and even if he weren't certain, the fact that absolutely zero arousal was present in her scent confirmed it for him. She just meant to talk, to stay up and talk, enjoying each other's company alone, just the two of them, but _platonically_. Just like it'd used to be during the early shard hunt days. Problem was, the villagers might not see it that way, and heaven forbid they got the wrong idea and believed their innocent little miko wasn't quite so innocent after all.

"I...don't think that'd be appropriate, Kagome. Besides, you've had a long day; you need your sleep."

Mentally sighing, Kagome resisted the childish urge to stomp her foot. First her hints were completely lost on him, and now he'd jumped to the most perverted conclusion possible? He was either way denser than she gave him credit for, or really _did _know she just wanted to talk and cuddle and was deliberately blowing her off. After all, there was nothing 'inappropriate' about snuggling with him up in a tree. Well...okay, so maybe _technically _it was a tad inappropriate, especially for the time period, but that sure as heck hadn't stopped him the day before!

_What gives? _

Feeling a headache coming on, Kagome abruptly decided to drop it. After this song and dance she really _was _tired and wanted to sleep. The look she sent Shippou's way at the kit's combination surprised-worried expression told the boy not to worry about it, that she'd deal with it later.

Realizing she hadn't said anything in reply to his diversionary statement, unsure if it meant she was feeling embarrassed by the realization of how it would look if they went off together or indignant by his _accusation_ of how it would look if they went off together – he'd deliberately let it sound that way in the hope of pointing out how the _villagers_ would see it – Inuyasha quickly decided that silence was better than confrontation and that he'd worry about any potential upset on her part tomorrow, as well. She needed to be made aware of the fact that, as an official miko of the village, things couldn't be exactly the same between them anymore. Yes, he would still be her friend. He loved her far too much to cease their friendship. But that didn't mean he could cuddle with her up in a tree whenever they felt like it. Not where anybody could even _conceivably _see them, at least. It would ruin her reputation, and he would _not _risk doing that to her.

Maybe, sometimes, occasionally, she could go with him on his morning rounds under the guise of fighting a random encroaching youkai, and they could then spend a few hours looking up at the clouds, just enjoying each other's company, miles away from the village, but those stolen moments would have to be kept secret because the villagers just wouldn't understand the closeness of their friendship. He knew she'd said there was no conflict, that Kaede didn't think their friendship would be a problem, but he'd rather not take any chances, for Kagome's sake. Within the borders of the village, they would have to act more appropriately towards one another than she was used to, for her own good. He promised himself that he wouldn't be deliberately cold in the hopes of getting her to change her mind about being a miko. On the one hand it would be nice if she ended up deciding against it because their lack of closeness wasn't worth it to her, but on the other hand he'd feel guilty for ruining her career. He wasn't that same selfish bastard anymore. He _wasn't_. He _was, _however, grateful for the kitsune walking with them in that moment; he was grateful for the amount of gifts from the villagers having required that third set of hands. Who knew what kind of 'conversation' he would've been forced to endure during the latter part of the walk back had Shippou gone with Miroku and Sango?

Spotting Kaede's house at the end of the road, he released the breath he'd been holding, knowing he was home free.

Deliberately not meeting Kagome's eyes, for fear that she'd fix him with a glare if he did, Inuyasha used his body to move aside the door mat and allow Kagome and Shippou entry after Kaede's voice bade them welcome.

"Thank you for the help, Shippou-chan." Kagome said quietly as they entered the hut and the kit sat his burden down on the raised wooden floor.

"Oh my, but the villagers were certainly generous to you, child." Kaede said as she watched, both surprised and impressed, as Kagome and Inuyasha both sat down their armloads as well, while Shippou, exhausted, turned back into his standard appearance.

"I'm tired after that..." he said, panting and hunched over a little, hands on his knees. "Can I stay here, Kaede? If I go to Miroku's now I might wake the baby, and then _nobody'd _get any sleep."

"Aye Shippou, you needn't ask. That's a very courteous consideration on your part."

"Plus I don't think I can even make it that far..." the kit added with a laugh that turned into a yawn, as he crawled closer to the firepit on his hands and knees, near Rin's sleeping roll, and then practically collapsed face first onto the floor, snoring loudly. The girl, in bed but awake and watching, giggled quietly at the kitsune's antics.

Kagome smiled down at Shippou from her side of the room, knowing the boy had probably put on a bit of a show just to put that smile on her face, although she didn't doubt how tired he was. She knew how hard it was for the kitsune to maintain an illusion for so long. Casting a quick glance in Inuyasha's direction, she watched as he settled down against the same spot along the wall where he'd slept the night before, near where she planned on setting up her sleeping bag, and for that, she was grateful. Maybe turning her down hadn't been personal, and the way he'd said what he'd said about propriety was just his way of covering. Maybe his heart and mind just hadn't been into it, and he'd just wanted to go to sleep, but hadn't really known how to tell her so without it sounding like he _didn't _want to spend the time alone with her, and so by pretending he thought she wanted to be 'alone' alone with him he was able to tell her no in a way that made him seem gentlemanly and looking out for her reputation instead of merely uninterested. That had to be it, right? He was just tired. Just not into the idea of _anything_ else after evening they'd just had to deal with.

She couldn't really say she blamed him, if that were the case, although even if they _hadn't _spent half the night talking she sure would have loved to have spent it sleeping curled up in his arms, proper or no. There was no way in all the hells she was going to embarrass him by being so presumptuous in front of Kaede, Rin and Shippou, though, so grabbing her pajamas in that moment and ducking behind the privacy screen to change, when she reemerged dressed for bed she merely spread out her sleeping bag in the same location as before and settled herself within it. If Kaede and Rin had been asleep she would have maybe dared whispering a teasing observation about him having been in the room while she changed yet again, but as it was he didn't even seem to have noticed, his eyes already closed, appearing for all the world like he was asleep. She knew better, of course, but wouldn't bother him about it. They'd both had one hell of a day.

"Goodnight, Inuyasha." she said sweetly then, and she was rewarded with him opening his eyes to glance her way, although his expression was unreadable at best.

"Goodnight, Kagome." he replied, his tone placating.

She would have puzzled over his strange behavior more if it weren't for suddenly realizing just how tired she really was. Maybe staying out all night wouldn't have been the best idea, after all, especially since spring was still so new and the nights were still rather chilly. A good night's sleep by a nice warm fire was sounding more and more appealing, as she let the gentle crackling of said fire sooth her weary nerves like a lullaby.

There would be plenty of time for her and Inuyasha to talk in the morning.


	9. We Belong Together

Chapter 9 – We Belong Together

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Sighing dejectedly as she slowly sipped her tea, staring hypnotically into the fire, Kagome mentally went over yesterday's events, trying to figure out where it had gone wrong, and why.

Inuyasha was definitely avoiding her. Of that she was now certain. She'd woken that morning around the same time as Kaede and Rin, despite how tired she'd been the night before. Feeling grateful for not having overslept, she'd turned to glance in Inuyasha's direction, only to discover he was gone. Was he doing his morning rounds already? Before breakfast? A quick scan with her senses had told her that he wasn't merely up on the roof. Why would he have left? Why, when all of the villagers should be done interrupting them now? Why on this first day where they were sure to have plenty of privacy, would he have left?

At first she'd tried to tell herself that maybe he'd just wanted to get his morning rounds over and done with as quickly as possible, so that he could come back sooner and then enjoy the day with her. That _would _have made sense, if it weren't for the fact that he'd come back into the area sometime shortly after she, Kaede, Rin and Shippou had finished their breakfast, lingering now in the forest that bore his name. Did he think she couldn't sense him? She had been able to see the glow of Kikyou's arrow on her first day here, on her fifteenth birthday, completely unaware that she possessed miko powers and with the majority of those powers sealed away. Now that those seals were lifted his aura shown even more brilliantly to her, when she thought to look for it. It was something she had to focus on, but it didn't really require much concentration. It was like consciously moving the muscles of her eyes to turn and look at something physical; she could do the same with her mind's eye just as easily those days.

Now, with Rin washing that morning's dishes and Kaede mashing some herbs together into a poultice she needed for a sick villager, Shippou out playing somewhere in the village, Kagome found she was torn, when left to her own quiet thoughts. Part of her wanted to go out there and talk to him, to make sure everything was all right, and get to the bottom of what was wrong if it wasn't, but another part of her also wanted to give him his space, figuring he'd come to her when he was ready. Plus Sango and Miroku would probably be showing up soon, and they needed to divvy up the donations. Maybe she'd wait to talk to them, first. After all, they'd been around Inuyasha the last three years, and she hadn't. They probably knew him better at that point than she did. That thought caused an ache to form in her heart, but wishing it weren't so didn't make it any less true.

Sango and Miroku showed up with their kids right on schedule, and Kagome sincerely thanked her friend as the taijiya presented her with one of her yukata that she had decided to part with for the greater good, so that Kagome would have something to wear besides her miko robes. It came complete with a matching wrap skirt, and she'd even thrown in a kosode, knowing Kagome only had the one and figuring the extra one would certainly come in handy. She'd also brought back Kagome's yellow backpack, which had gotten left at their house the night before, and told her that she'd washed her future-clothing for her that morning, the outfit currently still hanging to dry.

"Thanks, Sango-chan. I'm sorry I forgot my stuff at your place."

"No need to apologize, Kagome-chan. You weren't expecting to be bombarded like that." Sango stated as she waved off her friend's concern.

It was then that little Mizuki glanced around the quiet hut and asked "Where's Doggy?"

Everyone had to give themselves a moment to stifle an amused snicker, and then Kagome bent down to the toddler's level and told her, "Inuyasha's out in the forest right now. He has to make sure there's no sneaky bad youkai hiding out there."

Miroku raised an eyebrow at Kagome's comment, knowing that she could sense as well as he could that Inuyasha was close by. Closer than the Goshinboku. He wasn't still on his patrol.

"How long did he say he'd be gone?" Miroku asked, watching what was said in front of his daughters.

Kagome met his eyes, knowing she had to spill her heart out in code because of the children but also knowing that her friends would understand. At least, she _hoped _they still understood each other after their three-year separation. She wasn't that far out of the loop, was she?

"He didn't say." she said, sounding cheerful for the twins' sakes. "He must have wanted to get a start on his patrols early this morning."

Sango and Miroku both correctly understood that she meant he'd already been gone when she woke up, not a word to anyone.

Kagome looked down at herself in that moment, wearing the miko robes again only because she'd had nothing else to change into, and clutched the yukata she held in her hands a little tighter.

"I think, maybe...maybe I should go change. Maybe the robes bothered him more than he let on."

What else could it be? That had to be it.

Disappearing behind the changing screen, Sango followed closely behind, stopping just on the other side of the screen.

"Do you really think so, Kagome-chan?" she asked. "I mean, we all know that he's at peace now over what happened with Kikyou."

At the other end of the hut, with Rin finished with the dishes, Miroku asked her quietly to take the twins outside to play so that they could have an adult conversation. Nodding her understanding, curious but knowing it wasn't her place to ask, the eleven-year-old complied, taking Mizuki and Misaki outside.

"I don't know." Kagome answered. "He told me he also thought it was a good idea, even complementing my abilities, but..." She let her words trail off as she stepped back around the screen, folding her miko robes and placing them atop the chest that housed her pajamas and sleeping bag. "What do you think, Kaede-baa-chan?"

Kaede, who had been listening quietly as she worked, spoke up in that moment with, "I do not think the sight of you merely wearing the robes would still bother him at this point in time, however, perhaps the prospect of you actually acting as village miko does secretly worry him, even if he stated otherwise. It is possible he is remembering the way Kikyou-onee-sama lamented her duties, longing to be an ordinary woman, and if the way you explained your decision to become a miko made it sound too much like you felt it was your duty, as well, because of your abilities, then perhaps he fears you will ultimately come to regret that decision. It is also possible he fears voicing this concern for fear of you believing he is once again comparing you to my sister. You and I know better, but it could possibly be what he's thinking."

"I guess that could make sense..." Kagome considered. "Kikyou wasn't just any shrine miko, though, in charge of protecting the jewel like she was. That was an all-consuming responsibility, so it was no wonder why she came to bemoan her position, feeling like she and Inuyasha couldn't be together, she couldn't be happy, while she had such a massive obligation. She wanted to be rid of the jewel, to become an ordinary woman, so that she could love Inuyasha freely without her duty to the jewel hanging over their heads, but I have no such burden."

Something in what she'd just said made her own eyes open wider as another, different possibility suddenly struck her.

"You don't...you don't suppose he thinks _we_ can't be together if I'm a miko, do you? I mean, I _told _him you said there was no conflict of interests, although right when we were about to go talk about things in more detail was when everyone started showing up, so he might not have realized what I meant because I never had the chance to elaborate, and then when I tried to get him to take me away last night he brushed me off, saying something about a miko's responsibility to the village being night and day and that it wouldn't be appropriate, when I said I wanted to get away with him for the night."

Sango and Miroku's eyes both widened at this new piece of information. Even Kaede looked up a moment, surprised.

"He said that?" Miroku asked, completely taken aback. "You _told _him you wanted to get away with him for the night, alone, just the two of you, and he rebutted that a miko's responsibility to her village was never ending and that it wouldn't be appropriate, as a reason to _not _take you away?"

The monk was openly shocked, especially since he _knew _Inuyasha was in love with Kagome. What warm-blooded male would have refused such an obvious invitation?!

"I hadn't necessarily meant what I think you have in mind, Miroku-sama," Kagome said, too worried about Inuyasha to be overly perturbed about how the perverted monk's mind had obviously interpreted her meaning of 'getting away' for the night; "but yes, even though I had just meant to talk, and maybe also enjoy sleeping snuggled up against one another, he basically turned me down, siting propriety and a miko's responsibility to her people. At first I'd tried to tell myself that maybe he just hadn't wanted to get away last night 'cause he was too tired, trying not to read too much into what he'd said. And hell, I'm a big girl, I admit it, had _he _had more than snuggling in mind, I wouldn't have protested. So I also thought that maybe _he_ thought that I had _totally _meant what you just thought I meant, and he'd gotten nervous. _That _would have made _perfect _sense. Either way, I'd also thought that we were finally going to get away this morning to talk it out, and then everything would've been fine, but now that he's staying away, now I'm not so sure anymore. About anything."

It was Kaede who spoke up again once Kagome was finished, her good eye thoughtful as she studied the herbs she was working while she spoke.

"I would not previously have thought that to be the reason behind his strange avoidance, but now that I've heard what you just said, Kagome, I believe you may actually be right. After all, Kikyou-onee-sama had made it quite clear to him that they could not be together while she was a miko. Even though that was only because of the jewel in her case, and there are many miko who are wed to yamabushi across the land, it is possible he is unaware of this, and mistakenly believes that miko cannot have husbands. I doubt he's had very much personal experience dealing with miko until my sister, and he was asleep during the brief time when I, myself, had a suitor, before choosing to dedicate myself solely to the shrine. That decision had come from a place of needing to be here in case he ever awoke, or in case any other youkai seeking the jewel eventually made their way to our village. Plus our village needed a miko to tend to the shrine, jewel or no jewel. But it was not my duty to the shrine that had forced me to choose being a miko over becoming a wife, it was the boy who would have been my husband who had said he would not have me being a miko, did not want me being so dedicated to the others of the village, and he was the one who had forced me to choose. He made the decision an easy one."

Adding a drop more water to her mortar, and then deciding after a moment that the poultice was finished, Kaede sat her mortar and pestle down and met Kagome's eyes seriously.

"But even if Inuyasha is aware of the fact that miko as a rule do not have to remain unmarried, even you, Kagome, were worried at first if the villagers would have a problem with the two of you being together. While you do not harbor prejudice in your own heart against those of youkai blood, you are aware that such prejudice exists, and while I can safely assure you that the people here will have no problem with the two of you being together I cannot, in fact, say that this view will be shared by the rest of the world. Some people, people who do not know you and have different views than ours, may indeed have a problem with it. A miko having a husband is a fairly common occurrence, but a miko having a _demonic _husband is something else entirely. It would be an oversight, I believe, to assume Inuyasha does not share this same concern. I know it had been your intention to explain everything to him right away, but because that conversation got put on hold, and he now knows only of your desire to become a miko without you having explicitly told him also of your desire to become his wife, he may have jumped to the wrong conclusion. He may not think you _cannot _be together, but believes it unwise. The villagers respect him as our youkai guardian, but he may not realize how deep their dedication truly lies. He may fear incurring their wrath, or that at the very least, they would denounce you as a miko and you would lose your status in their eyes."

"But who cares about status? Surely he must know that if I _did _have to choose between him and being a miko, I'd pick him!" Kagome protested, hurt that he'd think she'd pick being a miko over him. "Shouldn't it have occurred to him that if I said I was going to become a miko, it must mean that everything's all right then?"

"But you said you two hadn't yet had the opportunity to discuss your feelings in private." Sango reminded gently. "If you'd already talked about getting married, and then afterwards told him you wanted to train to be a miko, I'm sure he would have made that connection, but since it didn't happen that way, maybe he's worried about where your heart lies."

Kagome remained silent, biting her lower lip in worry, knowing her friend was right.

"He may think that being a miko is what you want most, and he's willing to let you do it, wanting you to be happy, even if that happiness is not with him." Miroku added.

"He's used to being the outcast." Sango said in that moment. "Until becoming the local hero here, he always used to be hated, ostracized everywhere he went. Even knowing they feel differently here, he hadn't thought asking for a house was a good idea, in case it pushed things too far and wore out his welcome. If he thinks he can't even have a house, how's he supposed to feel about having a wife? And not just any wife, but the village miko? Like Kaede-sama said, he might think that being married to you, if you're also an active miko, would turn the villagers against you both. _I _know that isn't true, and we've had a few conversations with our neighbors to prove it, but we'd never discussed such things, how they felt sorry for him because of your absence, when we thought he might possibly overhear. We didn't think you'd ever come back, so what would have been the point in openly discussing how badly he obviously missed you?"

Miroku nodded his agreement. He never would have thought that Inuyasha would have thought it was a problem. If you'd merely asked him his opinion on the hanyou's thoughts, he would have laughed at the absurdity of this hypothesis. After all, Kagome wasn't Kikyou, and Inuyasha above everyone else knew _that_. Only Kikyou had been the one to say they couldn't be together back then, therefore, logically, the only thing standing between he and Kagome, even with Kagome as a miko, would have been Kagome herself, if she too had refused him, which they _all _knew she'd _never _do, and so therefore it wasn't a problem. But now, after hearing what the hanyou had said to Kagome the night before, turning down her invitation, and why, that evidence suggested the others were actually right, after all.

Kagome was quickly drawing the same conclusion.

Going back over everything that'd happened in her head one more time at her friends' words, with this new theory in mind this time, Kagome knew it was really the only plausible explanation for why he'd been so clingy and lovey-dovey one minute, and avoiding her as if they'd had one of their classic fights the next. She _knew _he had been about to kiss her before Hideaki and Yumiko had interrupted them, and there was _no _denying his initial, shocked expression upon walking into Sango and Miroku's house to see her wearing miko robes. Sure, he'd brushed it off quickly enough, but what, exactly, had he said? He'd said that he understood she didn't _have _any other clothing, and that until they could get her some 'normal' clothes she could wear the robes and it wouldn't bother him.

_He doesn't mind seeing me wearing miko robes for the sake of wearing miko robes, but that __doesn't__ mean he doesn't mind me actually __being__ a miko_...

Maybe it secretly bothered him the same as it'd bothered Kaede's ex-boyfriend. Maybe the jealous inu-youkai in him couldn't stand the thought of her having to occasionally get touchy-feely with some of the village men, when they'd require her treatments. But she'd _never _known Inuyasha to conceal it whenever he was jealous; it was the one emotion he'd never been able to hide and she doubted three years had made _that _much of a difference. But whether it was because he was angered at the thought of having to share her, or depressed by the belief that he _couldn't _share her and she belonged solely to the village, either way, why had he told her it was okay, then? Why had he totally agreed with her logic that it was the right thing to do, even complimenting her on her abilities? If it really _wasn't _okay with him then he'd sure put on one hell of an act, and there was really only one reason why _that _would be, that she could think of.

For her sake.

But if he'd decided to suppress his unease at the notion of having to share her with the villagers, of her occasionally smelling like other men from having to diagnose, heal and bandage, then why the hell would he have rebuffed her invitation for alone time last night? Even too tired to talk, and too shy to do _other _things, surely he would've wanted to at least cherish their moment of privacy to just sleep alone. But he'd honestly acted like he'd thought it would be a bad idea, the two of them going off alone together, which could only mean, as far as she could deduce, that he _wasn't_ masking his upset at the thought of having to share her with everyone else. It made sense now, why spending the night alone with her would have been 'inappropriate' in his mind.

_It_..._it must have hurt him badly_... she realized then. _He must think that me being a miko really does mean that we can't be together_... She cringed. _He thinks I really __did__ choose being a miko over him_...

Sure, it was all still just a hypothesis, but _something _was bothering him, and if that wasn't it, then what was? What other possible reason could there _possibly _be for why he was just hanging around on the outskirts of town, instead of sitting in the hut right beside her, enjoying being in her company?

_I suppose he could be masturbating_... she thought in passing then, mentally snickering and shaking her head 'never mind' when Sango and Miroku both gave her questioning looks.

That theory was also possible, she supposed, but probably not too likely. She'd love to think that he was just trying to restrain himself, that he had shot down her desire to be alone last night because he hadn't 'trusted' himself to be alone with her, and that now, he was trying to 'calm down' before coming back, but Kagome knew she needed to put her fanciful daydreams on the back burner. He had seemed loath to be away from her the day before, eager to be back in her company, and then _bam_, when he came back, she was in miko robes, telling him she'd decided to become a miko. She had to think about how that might have looked from his perspective. And while they _would _have gotten any possible misunderstands out in the open and dealt with right away had it not been for that influx of villagers at Sango and Miroku's place, since she'd had every intention of discussing her feelings with him and whether or not he wanted to get married, that opportunity, that conversation, had been stolen from them, and so after coming back after being gone all morning to face a shocking sight he surely hadn't been expecting he'd then had to immediately deal with villagers fawning all over her, calling her 'Miko-sama', and it hadn't stopped until it'd been time to go to bed.

No wonder he'd been gone when she'd woken up that morning. He'd probably needed to get his thoughts in order to avoid saying something hurtful, if he'd been forced to stew over his thoughts all evening in silent misery. She knew he must know that he couldn't avoid her forever, so he was just stalling, but to what end? So that he could keep up the 'just friends' act around her? She hadn't abandoned her life in the future, traveling five hundred years into the past, to _just_ be _friends_.

She would make damn sure he knew it, too, and if, like Kaede's would-be husband from so many years ago, it honestly bothered him, the idea of her being a miko, then screw it. She could still learn herbs, still learn those things from Kaede, what the woman wanted to teach her, but she would _not _choose the shrine over Inuyasha if it really came down to it.

A part of her, a big part, actually, was really hurt that he would think her capable of such a thing. That she would actually pick being a miko over being with him. But sucking in a sharp breath, Kagome squared her shoulders in determination and silently vowed to herself to not take it personally. It wasn't her, it was him, and his insecurities. He was used to having everything he loved ripped away from him. He had probably feared that her coming back had been too good to be true, and had been waiting for 'the catch' to reveal itself. Besides all that, if there was one thing Inuyasha understood, and it'd taken Kagome a while to figure this out, it was that responsibility and duty sometimes _did _take precedent over personal desire and happiness. Maybe, if he thought she felt like it was her _duty _to become a miko, then that was all there was to it in his mind, and both of their hands were tied.

She snorted at the ridiculous notion.

Sango, Miroku and Kaede observed Kagome's various mood shifts in silent appraisal, wondering what conclusion the future-born miko would ultimately reach. With their silent stares finally causing her to focus her attention back on the people in the room with her, Kagome nodded determinedly as she met everyone's eyes and said, "I need to go talk to him. Right now."

That said, she didn't say another word to anyone, merely slipping on the zori sandals she'd worn yesterday, sans tabi socks, before heading out the door without a single backward glance. Everyone silently wished her good luck.

oooooooooo

Sighing for the umpteenth time, Inuyasha tried to tell himself to get a move on, knowing he had to be within sensing range if Kagome thought to mentally look for him, and that it was only a matter of time before she'd come looking for him physically if he stayed away too long. Maybe not under normal circumstances, but since she'd tried, twice, to take him away for a private talk, he knew the miko wouldn't let it go for long.

The miko.

That was going to take some getting used to.

_She's always been a miko, sort of, but without the responsibilities_...

Not like finding the jewel shards, killing Naraku, and then ridding of the world of the Shikon no Tama weren't responsibilities, but that was different. It'd been her quest, her calling, and it was _over _now. What the hell did she want to go and continue being a miko for? A regular miko...a shrine maiden... Why?

_Why, damn it?! _

It was going to take a while to get the 'not a selfish bastard' part of himself back up front and center. That was why he'd had to get away. He just had to get away. Before she woke up. Before she wanted to 'talk'. He was only delaying the inevitable, he knew, and honesty, a part of himself also hoped that maybe he was jumping to the wrong conclusions. Maybe everything wasn't as it seemed. He just kept remembering those looks of love she'd given him, not to mention the subtle flirting they'd done two nights ago. A part of him refused to believe he'd made it all up, seeing things that weren't there. But yet, on the other hand, then why the hell would she have chosen to become a miko? It just didn't make any sense! And he both wanted to understand and feared hearing the truth. A part of him was eager to let her talk with him, knowing she'd sort it all out, knowing that all of his questions would be answered, but another part of him was absolutely, bone-shatteringly terrified to hear what she had to say. Until she confirmed it, until she told him to his face that she only loved him like a friend, he could continue clinging to his denial, continue believing that her feelings ran deeper. Even if she'd decided that being the Shikon Miko was too great a calling to ignore, even if she'd felt that with her levels of reiki it was her destiny, her duty to become a miko, that didn't mean she didn't love him. Kikyou had loved him...

_So__ not going there_.

Lassoing his wandering thoughts and dragging them back to the subject at hand, Inuyasha knew he was debating in a vacuum. He'd never know where her heart really lied, and why she'd truly chosen to become a miko, until he discussed it with her, plain and simple. It was also possible, although such a possibility was admittedly remote at best, that she was, for some obscure reason, unaware of _his _feelings, not that he thought the whole thing was some twisted test to see if he'd confess his love or not, but maybe she just thought that _he _only saw her as a friend and so she'd honestly felt like she'd needed some kind of a single woman's career to keep herself busy in his century because there was nothing else for her to do. She couldn't freeload off of Kaede forever, after all.

Kaede.

This was all _her _doing, really. Kagome had told him that the old hag was the one who'd asked her. Asked her to become her apprentice.

_Fucking guilt the girl into agreeing, why don't you_... he thought bitterly, feeling hurt and betrayed because Kaede _knew _how he felt about Kagome. It was like she'd stolen her right out from under his nose, and he hadn't even noticed until it was too late.

But that wasn't really true, either, was it? Because it hadn't been too late until he, himself, had stupidly given Kagome the go-ahead. Why hadn't he had the balls to tell her, when she'd asked, that it _wasn't _fucking okay if she became a miko? She'd asked him, for kami's sake! She'd fucking _asked _him, and like a pansy he'd told her what she'd wanted to hear, that of course it didn't bother him.

_Nope, doesn't bother me in the slightest, so you go right ahead and achieve all your life goals that don't involve me_...

Damn, he really _was _a selfish bastard. A selfish, jealous, lonely bastard.

_Annnnddd_ _here she comes, perfect_... he thought bitterly, ears lowering to his head as he heard the crunch of the earth underneath her feet, the traitorous wind having prevented him from catching her delicate scent.

Even now he couldn't smell her, but he didn't need to. He knew it was her. He recognized the sound of her footfalls. Even wearing straw zori instead of her old shoes, he could still tell it was her. Three years apart and he still knew Kagome inside and out, able to identify her with any one of his senses alone.

A subtle shift in the wind brought her wondrous fragrance to his nostrils, and he breathed deeply, mentally cringing at the agitation and upset he could detect hidden underneath the natural beauty of her scent, clouding it, making it minutely less appealing. He wasn't surprised by her upset. He'd be mad, too, if he were the one who'd been abandoned while he slept.

Kami, he was such a wimp.

"Inuyasha...?"

She was getting closer, but hadn't quite found him yet, no doubt using his youki like a spiritual beacon.

"Inuyasha!"

_Here she comes_...

Time to face the music.


	10. It was an honest mistake

Chapter 10 – It was an honest mistake

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Spotting a splash of red up in the treetops, Kagome hastened her pace and closed the final gap between them.

"Inuyasha!" she called out a third time, coming upon the tree he was perched in and craning her neck back to gaze up into its branches. "Inuyasha, please come down here! We _really _need to talk!" she said, not really wanting to shout out her love for him this close to the village while he remained stubbornly up in the tree but mentally prepared to do just that if that was what it would take, eavesdroppers or no. Thinking of something else, Kagome hesitated for a moment, biting her lower lip in concern, but then nodding and squaring her shoulders, she added, "Don't make me test if the rosary still works!"

Honestly surprised by the not-so-subtle threat, something funny stirred in the pit of Inuyasha's stomach at the thought of her subduing him with the kotodama no nenju again after all this time, his eyes glazing over in memory for a moment as he absentmindedly fingered the beads around his neck. Quickly shaking such random nonsense thoughts free, he figured he'd better jump down before she actually made good on the threat.

The first thing he noticed upon landing on the ground in front of her was that she was wearing one of Sango's spare dresses, the pink and white floral yukata with matching pink wrap skirt fitting her nicely. It was a pleasant, if not somewhat puzzling surprise. He wouldn't ask her about it, though. He didn't want to come off sounding too hopeful. He figured he'd already buried himself pretty deeply with his disappearing act, so it was going to take a while to convince her that he really did have her own happiness in mind. A fact made even more evident by her utterly miserable expression.

Standing face to face with him now, Kagome felt the bite of tears stinging the backs of her eyes and blinked rapidly a few times, willing them not to fall. She had to get through this.

"Are...are you mad at me?" she asked quietly, unable to keep the quiver out of her voice.

His eyes widened at her question, before closing in shame. "Of course not. Don't be stupid." he answered softly, breathing deeply.

He'd really fucked up, and now it was time to make amends. He might still be a bit of a selfish bastard at times, but he wasn't as immature as he'd used to be, at least.

"I'm sorry..." he began then, unprompted, ignoring her open look of surprise as he plowed forward. "I just...I just needed to think...about things, but I hadn't meant to stay away for so long, and no, I'm not mad at you. How could I be mad at you? You came back. That's all I've ever wanted."

Kagome felt her eyes tearing up again at his words, although for an entirely different reason. Inuyasha's eyes widened a bit at the sight, and for a split second he moved forward, as if to comfort her, but then he visibly hesitated, holding himself back, his expression unsure, and that sealed the deal in Kagome's mind.

"Why...why didn't you tell me the truth, when I asked you if it was all right with you if I become a miko?"

His eyes widened again at her question, and then his gaze lowered, staring at the ground between them, his ears back. It was a reaction he wouldn't have given, she knew, if it really _didn't _bother him. He would've been surprised by her being off track, and he would've told her she had it all wrong.

"There's really no 'becoming' though, is there?" he asked quietly then, deflecting her question while simultaneously confirming her suspicions. "You _are _a miko. You were born to be one. You said so yourself."

Her next statement really caught him off guard.

"So what?" she said. "Just 'cause I have these powers, just 'cause I'd like to learn herbs, that doesn't mean I _have _to be an official miko, tending to the shrine and doing purification rituals. I could live in a cave and be called a _witch _for all I care. I didn't give up my life in the future, my _family_, to become a shrine miko. If all I'd wanted to do with myself was be a shrine miko I could have done _that _in the 21st century."

He stared at her, blinking slowly, his mouth hanging open but no words coming out.

She stepped closer, getting right in his face, and reached up to fist his forelocks with both hands.

"I came back to be with _you!"_

That said, she yanked him down into a kiss, and because his lips were still slightly parted it was more than a mere chaste peck. Having no actual experience because she'd never wanted to share her first kiss with anyone else didn't mean she didn't know what she was doing, in theory, at least, and Inuyasha certainly didn't seem to have any complaints. It took a few agonizingly long seconds for his brain to catch up with what was happening, but finally, the feel of Kagome's lips molding against his own, her tongue dancing within his mouth, her hands shifting to the back of his head, all snapped him out of his stupor and he reached up almost frantically to wrap his arms around her in return, his tongue plunging into her mouth as he practically crushed her body to his, devouring her hungrily.

Neither cared that they hadn't started things off with a shy, tender kiss. This was _far _overdo as far as they were both concerned, and they each had over three years' worth of fantasies fueling their verve.

All good things had to come to an end, though, especially when those good things were depriving a certain human girl of much needed oxygen, and so reluctantly pulling apart after a moment, Inuyasha and Kagome stared silently into each other's eyes, the latter noticeably breathing a bit heavily while the former didn't appear to be breathing at all.

Inuyasha was too afraid to breathe, too afraid to blink, too afraid to do _anything_ that would take his current reality away from him.

Kagome was the one who spoke first.

"So tell me, honestly, _does _me being a miko bother you? Because if you don't want me to do it, then I won't, simple as that. I'd _like _to, but you are far, _far _more important to me."

"I..." he started, blinking a few times to prevent some mysterious moisture in his eyes from gathering. He lied to himself that it was only because he'd refrained from blinking for so long. "I'm confused." he admitted then.

"So it's true, then." Kagome said, a part of her having clung to the hope that he'd only not wanted to share her, like how Kaede's ex-boyfriend had felt. She'd known it was the less likely scenario after weighing all the evidence, but still, she'd hoped.

"You honestly thought that I'd chosen being a miko _over _you, didn't you?"

He looked guilty at her accusatory tone, and rightfully so, she thought.

"I can't believe...after _everything _we've been through... It was only you, you know. When the well opened, I had been thinking about _you_, and how badly I wanted to be with _you _again. Sure, I missed the others, but I could have lived out the rest of my life never seeing them again and not been utterly miserable because of it. Never seeing _you_ again?" She shook her head. "My exact thought, when the well suddenly decided to work for me, was that I wanted to be with _you_."

He sighed, glancing down again before minutely shaking his head and looking back up, forcing himself to meet and hold her gaze, even though the power of it was piercing right through him.

"Kagome, I...I'm sorry I doubted you. I _had _thought that you'd come back for me. I had thought that, I mean, I'd thought that I _knew _that your feelings were still the same, and that you knew my feelings hadn't changed, either, but then..."

"But then suddenly there I am in miko robes, telling you I'd like to be a miko, and you thought that that meant we couldn't be together." she finished for him.

His ears lowered in shame, and then his arms were back around her again, as he pulled her into a tender hug.

"I'm sorry, Kagome..." he murmured softly in her ear. "I...I honestly didn't know _what _to think. Had I been wrong? Did you only want to be friends? Or maybe you thought it was your duty to take your place as village miko, regardless of our feelings. And who am I to stop you if that's what you wanted? If that's what you felt you _had _to do? If you wanted to be a miko then I...I'd wanted to be there for you, as a friend, because I love you too much to get in the way of what you want."

He pulled back again so that she could see the sincerity in his eyes.

"But why couldn't I do both?" she asked then. "Did that not occur to you, that we could be together whilst I was village miko?"

"Does Kaede-babaa know you want to be with me?" he countered. "Because I don't think-"

"She said the villagers would praise our union, that you and I are both blessed by the kami, the 'Shikon Miko and her youkai protector', and therefore, we belong together."

His eyes widened again at this new bit of information, and he remained silent, staring at her with something akin to wonder in his eyes. She took the opportunity to lean forward and plant another kiss, this one much more chaste, on his lips. It was a bit of a delayed reaction, but they both blushed deeply in that moment, a lack of adrenaline better allowing each of them to realize what they'd just done moments prior. Inuyasha cleared his throat nervously and looked away, his ears turning this way and that, and Kagome could tell he was checking to make sure they were still alone, that nobody from the village was spying on them, probably most specifically a certain monk and slayer.

Kagome didn't care if they had an audience or not, their friends or otherwise. She had things she still needed to say, and she was going to say them, embarrassment be damned.

"I am not Kikyou..." she began in that moment, her expression and words both calm and unassuming. Inuyasha's eyes snapped back to hers, but he remained quiet, letting her continue.

"I do not long to be an ordinary woman," she explained, adding, "I _had _that life, and I chose to walk away from it. I chose to come here, and become the wife of an inu-hanyou."

They both blushed again at her words, and finally, Kagome was the one who had to look away, her eyes lowered as she smiled shyly. Still, she plowed forward.

"And miko do not have to remain husbandless, if that's what you were led to believe. Kikyou...she had had such a tremendous responsibility, and so had I, for a while there, but the jewel is gone now, Naraku is gone, and as a _normal _miko, without such an all-consuming obligation as guarding the Shikon no Tama day and night, there is more than enough time for a private life. Just because some few devout miko choose not to split their time between their duties as a shrine priestess and the duties of a wife, that does not mean it's an actual rule that miko cannot also be wives and mothers if they choose to be. Look at Miroku-sama. Most would say a monk should not be married, either, but do the villagers here have a problem with his wife and children?"

She met Inuyasha's eyes again when she finished, biting her lower lip nervously as she remained quiet, letting the hanyou know she was done for the time being and that it was now his turn to speak.

He absorbed everything she'd said slowly, making sure to take it all in before replying. Her words about Miroku made perfect sense, he knew. But monks weren't supposed to be perverted womanizers, either, so since when did Miroku ever follow the rules? Looking back on it, though, Inuyasha realized he should have known that the local villagers, at the very least, most likely wouldn't have a problem with he and Kagome being together. The same couldn't be said for other people from other towns, of course, but at least here at home he knew where he stood in the villagers' eyes, and he knew where Kagome stood, too. They really _did _see her as a gift from the kami; honestly, they saw her as a replacement for Kikyou. He had heard the whispers last night, some of them talking about 'Kikyou's reincarnation', even though they could at least fortunately also accept that Kagome was her own separate person. He needed to make damn sure she knew that _he _knew she was her own separate person, too.

"Hell, Kagome, I _know _you're not Kikyou..." he spoke up then, conviction in his tone of voice as he once again held her gaze. "I hope you don't think that I..." Shaking his head, his expression suddenly took on a brazen smirk, as he said, "You wanna know what I was _really _thinkin' when I first saw you in those robes?"

Before she could answer, he leaned forward and whispered his not-quite-pure thoughts into her ear, earning a much darker blush from the future-born miko although much to his relief she didn't get upset or scold him for his naughty thoughts.

"Well..." she said after a moment, clearing her throat. "I'm glad to know that seeing me in those robes honestly doesn't bother you like it used to."

He snorted.

"Hell, even you _bein' _a miko don't bother me now that I know it wasn't a 'me or it' decision and I lost." He offered her a warm, sincere smile. "I _did _tell you the truth, Kagome, when I told you that your spiritual powers were the strongest I'd ever felt, and that the villagers would be lucky to have you as their miko."

She blushed again and looked away, a new smile creeping back up the edges of her mouth.

"And I would be lucky to have you as my wife." Inuyasha added boldly, and Kagome's eyes snapped back to meet his, her smile increasing.

"You really mean that?" she asked, practically beaming. He smirked again.

"Hell, woman, do you really think I'd kiss you like that if I didn't mean it?"

She hoped he'd know she was just teasing, but...

"And it's not just 'cause I look like Kikyou?"

The sparkle in her eyes gave her playfulness away, and he snorted again, amused.

"In that dress, Kagome, you look more like Sango. You gonna start thinking I've been pining after the slayer all this time?"

He chuckled, and then gave her an undeniably heated look, reminiscent of the look he'd given her two nights prior. "_You _are the one I want, Kagome, and you've _been _the one I've wanted for a long, _long_ time."

She laughed, the sound a result of how absolutely happy she felt in that moment, as she wrapped her arms back around him. He automatically returned the hug, holding her to him tightly, settling his chin on the top of her head.

"For the last three years all I wanted was for you to come back, and beyond that...sometimes I didn't dare to dream." Inuyasha murmured softly as he ran his hand tenderly through her hair. "I _have _had dreams, but sometimes I thought that maybe I was being greedy, that maybe you'd come back if I stopped asking for quite so much. When you finally came back, and then when I thought you'd chosen being a miko, for whatever reason, I'd been fighting with myself to not ruin it for you. I was going to try to still be there for you as a friend, and just be grateful that you were in my life again, but fuck, it was going to be hard."

"I'm _so_ sorry..." she apologized against his chest. "I didn't mean to put you through that."

"I know." he assured her. "Not your fault all those people showed up right then. I get it now, that we were gonna go talk about it right when Miroku's neighbors came by. If it weren't for that then I wouldn't've had the chance to misunderstand, and then I'm the one who dragged it out. My misery this morning was my own damn fault. I should've just taken you away last night like you'd wanted."

"But you'd been worried about propriety. I can understand that." she said.

He snorted again.

"Hell, we should _still _be worried about propriety. Miko or no, married or no, these woods ain't exactly private."

"I suppose not. At least not this close to the village." she conceded then, reluctantly pulling out of his embrace. He released her just as reluctantly.

"There ain't nobody around right this second, but that can change pretty quick. So, do you wanna go deeper into the woods, or should we go let the others know we got our shit together first?"

"Oooo, you wanna run away with me into the forest now?" she teased, laughing when his face darkened to match his suikan.

"I-I hadn't meant anything like that!" he blurted, and she laughed again.

"One day, you know, that'll be _exactly _what we mean. What do you think husbands and wives do?"

"I...but, you...we ain't married yet!"

Laughing again, and deciding to take pity on her hanyou, Kagome placed a calming hand on his shoulder and assured him, "I'm only teasing. I'll admit it, I've had my own dreams, but just because we've both dreamt it doesn't mean we're ready for it yet in real life, right this very second. I'm trying to act mature and not feel embarrassed about all this, but just 'cause I'm not a little kid anymore doesn't mean I'm suddenly a total hentai. I _want _to share that with you, but...I also don't want us to rush into anything we might not be fully ready for just yet. Soon."

He exhaled slowly at her words, and despite his seemingly perceptual blush, he nodded his agreement, a shy grin revealing the tips of his fangs. "Soon."

"So, back to Kaede-baa-chan's, then?"

"Yeah."

Returning to Kaede's hut side by side was a surreal experience for both hanyou and miko. The few people who saw them greeted them both with friendly hellos, and nobody seemed perplexed by Kagome's casual dress, calling her 'Kagome-sama' all the same. Reaching the elderly miko's property revealed Rin still playing with little Mizuki and Misaki outside, although Kagome suspected they weren't still outside only because nobody had told Rin it was okay to come back in. The three girls appeared quite engrossed in their little game of drawing pictures in the dirt.

Of course, feeling the approach of their favorite canine uncle quickly distracted the twins, as Mizuki looked up first, Misaki snapping her eyes up as well at her sister's cry of "Doggy!"

Kagome snickered quietly when she heard Inuyasha's sigh. Glancing his way out of the corner of her eye, she couldn't miss the happy sparkle in his own golden orbs. The girls might try his patience at times, after all, they _were _only two years old, but the simple fact that he had friends, and friends who would _let _him play with their children... Kagome could tell how much it obviously meant to him.

As the twins ran up to Inuyasha, a laughing but also apologizing Rin on their heels, Inuyasha brushed off the eleven-year-old's concern and actually crouched down, opening his arms wide for both toddlers. They eagerly latched on, and he stood back up then, a girl in each arm. His cheeks colored a little bit when he caught the proud smile Kagome sent his way, but unlike the _old_ him, he didn't try to cover up his display of affection by suddenly acting gruff or uncaring.

Heading inside, Rin entered before them, the girl immediately gathering the things she needed to start tending to the vegetable garden since she had not yet done so that morning. As Kagome and Inuyasha entered behind her, they spotted Miroku and Sango in the back corner of the hut, the couple in the process of sorting through the villagers' gifts from the night before. Accepting for themselves only a modest portion of the foodstuffs, they were leaving the vast majority of things for Kagome. They glanced up and offered the hanyou and miko both warm welcomes at their entry before getting back to what they were doing, the monk and slayer both doing an admirable job of ignoring the elephant in the room since they had no idea what, specifically, the couple had or hadn't discussed during their time alone. Sango and Miroku had agreed while _they_ were alone that they would wait and see what either of them might say, first, before jumping to conclusions and risk going against Kagome's previous request that they not say anything until she'd had the chance to get it all sorted out.

They didn't have long to wait, as it was Inuyasha in that moment who, after setting the twins down by their parents, looked the monk and slayer in the eyes and asked, "So, Miroku, do you still think the carpenters wouldn't have a problem building me a house?"

His eyes immediately lit up at the question, and looking up, the houshi met Kagome's eyes briefly before Inuyasha's, the miko having given him a happy nod.

"I have absolutely zero belief that any of the local carpenters would have issue, and as for the rest of the building party, you know it's not as if our neighboring villages despise your existence."

Thinking back on the time when the gathered building party, which consisted of men from their own village as well as the two closest neighboring towns, had been working on the construction of his and Sango's own house, Miroku reminded the hanyou, "What did you say the other villagers' whispers had been, when you were helping with the heavy lifting? They had been surprised by your presence, but then our local men, they had assured the neighboring townsmen that you were welcome here, that you were our youkai guardian and more importantly, my comrade in arms. Tales of our adventures have traveled far and wide by this point, not only of our previous search for the sacred jewel shards and the defeat of Naraku, but also the fact that you and I now reside in this village and are available for hire by those who need our help. If they were hired to aid in the framework of a house for you, and with your earnings you've got more than enough money to cover the costs should you be required to do so, then I feel I can safely assure you that there would be no complaints from any of the hired workers."

Thinking about it, Sango added, "I dare say only the hired men from outside the village would even require payment. I bet as soon as Haruto-sama talks to our local carpenters about your desire for a house they'll volunteer to do the work for free."

"I will certainly offer my own services." Miroku said then. "I'm no stranger to lighter carpentry, like roofing. I acquired plenty of experience in that field repairing the roof of Mushin-sama's temple when it required it. It's only the framework we'll need professional assistance with."

"Yeah," Inuyasha agreed, "I don't know nothin' 'bout framing a house, except that it takes a lot of know-how. But I'll certainly help out as much as I can, too. Ain't like I wanna just stand back and watch it get built."

Kagome observed the conversation with a bright, happy smile that was impossible for the other occupants of the hut to ignore. She wished Kaede was still present so that she could have been a part of the happy news as well, but knew the elderly miko was currently in the village treating a sick farmer with the poultice she'd been making.

"I'll help too, however I can." Kagome spoke up in that moment. "After all, it'll be my house, too."

She returned Sango's happy smile at her comment, although Miroku's more lecherous smirk made her blush despite herself. Inuyasha shot the monk a look in return, and the holy man cleared his throat and schooled his features.

"My sincerest congratulations, Kagome-sama, Inuyasha. All joking aside, I truly am very happy for you both."

Kagome grinned at Miroku at his words, trying to ignore the heat she could still feel in her cheeks as she decided to demonstrate how she was indeed a big girl now and could therefore take a joke or three without getting horribly embarrassed.

She just hoped Inuyasha would forgive her.

"Hey, you wouldn't be you if your thoughts didn't wander in that direction first and foremost. What can I say? It's not like we _won't _be doing those things."

Miroku only grinned, while Inuyasha spluttered, and while Sango had a light blush on her cheeks Inuyasha's obvious discomfiture made her laugh as well. He shot them all a glare, Kagome included, although she could tell his eyes were sparkling playfully rather than in any kind of genuine anger. He opened his mouth to retort, but before he could say anything little Ichirou decided the room was getting far too exciting to remain lying peacefully glancing around, and so he started fussing in that moment, wanting to become the center of attention.

Sango scooped up her son and started to nurse him, and after a moment Miroku was able to get more serious again, getting back to sorting through the various gifts the villagers had given Kagome the night before. The miko and hanyou helped him figure out the last of it, insisting that he and Sango take more of the various foods than they had been prepared to. Kagome just didn't think they could eat all of it before it spoiled, and another deciding factor was also the fact that some of the things Miroku and Sango were going to leave for them smelled too spicy to Inuyasha. Inuyasha told Kagome that she could still have it for herself if she wanted it, but she both pleased and embarrassed her future husband when she pointed out how she didn't want to risk her breath becoming too spicy for him, and _why_. He blushed at the amused look Miroku shot him at the comment, but fortunately the houshi decided to keep his jokes to himself, agreeing to take the spicy treats.

All non-food items were left for Kagome, hands down. Besides the two different lengths of fabric, which Sango complimented looked absolutely lovely as the taijiya promised Kagome she'd help teach her how to sew, and the leather sagemono courtesy of their resident leatherworker, there was also a very well-made basket, compliments of the village's best basket weaver, which had definitely come in handy since Kagome had used it to carry a great deal of the items back to Kaede's. There was also a well-made wooden inrō sagemono, a multi-sectional container that was ideal for medicines. Even though Kaede didn't own one, and merely used a small basket to carry her various medicines when she did her village rounds, Kagome imagined that when it was her turn, when she was the miko doing the morning rounds, the inrō would be perfect for smaller things, and she could still also use a larger carrying basket when need be, like if she were bringing somebody a jar of something she'd made to last them several days. The inrō's design was fairly simplistic; Kagome knew they wouldn't evolve beyond their mere utilitarian function into more elaborately crafted works of art until the Edo period, and she would also not be able to acquire a cute little netsuke figurine to replace it's normal toggle at the end of the cord as they did not exist yet, either, but even so, it was a charming little wooden box, and she was glad to own it.

Once everything was properly sorted, Kagome and Inuyasha went with their friends back to their place, helping the couple to carry everything, or more accurately, helping the couple carry their children so that they could carry everything. With little Ichirou once again strapped to his mother's back, Sango's arms were loaded down with goodies, as were her husband's, a happily chirping toddler in both Inuyasha and Kagome's arms as the engaged couple walked close enough together for the twins they held to interact with each other, the two-year-olds babbling to each other in broken speech only they seemed to understand.

Catching Inuyasha giving her a funny look, Kagome automatically looked down at herself, to make sure her yukata wasn't crooked, and then looking back up and meeting his eyes, she grinned a little at his smile and playfully asked, "What?"

"Keh, nothin'. Just realized you look good with a brat in your arms, is all."

She almost tripped over her sandal-clad feet in her surprise at his comment, but thankfully managed to catch herself, especially considering her precious cargo.

"So do you, you know."

He nodded shyly, blushed mildly, and looked away.

"There's no hurry...with anything." Kagome spoke back up then. "We can take everything one day at a time. Right now, I'm just so glad to be back, here, with you."

"Me too."

She smiled.

_Of course, if we're anything like Sango-chan and Miroku-sama, once we can finally express our love for each other as we want, I bet it won't take long for the little ones to show up_... Kagome thought, deciding she would just let nature take its course and whatever happened, she'd welcome it with open arms.

She smiled down at the toddler she held in her arms in that moment, envisioning what a little girl similar to Misaki might look like if she had little black puppy ears sticking up out of her hair and cute little fangs poking out past her upper lip.

How quickly would a quarter-inu baby develop its fangs? Fangs and breast feeding didn't sound like a good combination, come to think of it. But shaking those random thoughts free, Kagome again resolved to just let nature take its course and not worry about all of the various possibilities, since she knew the different paths their life together could take were virtually limitless. Instead of wasting away her present by worrying about 'what if' she would _enjoy _her present and deal with whatever changes and challenges came their way one day at a time.

Inuyasha's thoughts were running along similar lines, as he too at first started to imagine what it would be like to have children with Kagome, before realizing he would completely freak himself out with that line of thought if he didn't change the subject in his mind. He figured that it was fairly obvious they'd eventually have kids, but she'd only been back for three days, for crying out loud, and they weren't even married yet, nor did they have a home to call their own, so it made much more sense to focus on the more pressing matters at hand and save the freaking out about becoming a father for after she was actually pregnant.

Of course, the thought of Kagome pregnant led him, backwards, to the thought of how she'd have _gotten _that way, and he blushed again. Just because he'd had a ton of fantasies, and sometimes actual, literal dreams on the subject, both before and during their separation, that didn't mean he was all psyched up and raring to go. He likened it to something he'd witnessed with one of the small boys in the village a couple of years back, the youth desperate to learn how to ride a horse, wanting to get on one and ride it so badly. The boy's father had brought him over to the stables near Kaede's house, a stable hand prepared to help the boy get up on one of the horses' backs, and the youth had then proceeded to freak out, hugging his father's leg and begging to go back home.

While Inuyasha wasn't afraid of being with Kagome in and of itself, there were all sorts of little things that went along with the idea of it that had him completely terrified. He had absolutely zero experience in the love-making department, for one thing. What if he didn't satisfy her? What if he _hurt _her? What if his...differences...were more than she could handle? He knew she loved him, and that his youkai blood and features didn't matter to her, but she wasn't aware of _all _of his youkai features. He knew she'd never hold it against him or actually say anything negative, but in a weird sort of way that was even worse. Because she wouldn't want to hurt his feelings he was afraid he'd never know how she _really_ felt, and if she was...bothered or not, by his lack of humanity in certain areas.

He knew it was a really stupid thing to be worried about all of a sudden. Here he finally had the girl of his dreams, and they were going to be _married_...he should be the happiest man on the planet! He knew for damn sure he was the happiest _hanyou _on the planet. By a long shot, he'd imagine. How many hanyou actually grew up to marry the person they loved, who loved them in return? So he wasn't going to let his fears hold him back, even with as real and at the surface as they were becoming. In his fantasies it'd never been an issue, but they'd been _fantasies_.No point in worrying about something when you thought it'd never really matter in real life, when you thought those fantasies were going to forever remain just that. Now, though, it was no longer a dream. Kagome was here, in real life, and they were going to be married. But even though she might have differing opinions and reactions than his dream-Kagome had had, regardless, she was _Kagome_, and Inuyasha knew he'd take reality over fantasy _any _time, no matter what.

Reaching the monk and slayer's house, Inuyasha brought his mind back into the here and now. Miko and hanyou continued to keep their assigned two-year-olds preoccupied while Mom and Dad went about putting away their newly acquired foodstuffs, and then after that, everyone settled down around the firepit while Sango put on some tea. Inuyasha and Kagome stayed over for a little while, visiting with their friends. Hanyou and houshi discussed some of the details about arranging for a building party, and both agreed that discussing things with the headman could wait until the following morning, since it would be time for lunch before too much longer and Kagome and Inuyasha just wanted to enjoy the rest of their day together before jumping into anything else that would gobble up all their alone time again.

Shippou popped back in at one point, and they immediately told the kitsune the happy news. His reaction was comical. At Inuyasha's off-handed comment of, "Oh hey, Shippou, so you know, Kagome and I got everything worked out and we're gonna be gettin' married." the fox child blurted out, "Well it's about damn time!"

Everyone laughed, and Kagome didn't even feel like scolding Shippou for his language.

The engaged couple stayed with their friends for a little while longer after that, but then slowly but surely as real life and its responsibilities reared their ugly head hanyou and miko excused themselves so that their friends could get back to doing the things they needed to be doing. With Shippou babysitting it made Sango's time in the vegetable garden much more pleasant, and since Miroku needed to do a few things at the temple before lunch he offered to walk with Inuyasha and Kagome on their way back to Kaede's house. Thanking Sango again for washing her futuristic clothing as she collected her outfit from the clothes line, Kagome then bid Sango a pleasant goodbye for the time being, the slayer promising that some other time she'd help teach Kagome a few things about gardening, and then the trio were on their way, Miroku's staff jingling peacefully in the quiet afternoon.

The walk back to Kaede's was pleasant enough, the houshi surprisingly able to refrain from making any inappropriate comments, and once reaching the elderly miko's dwelling Inuyasha and Kagome said their temporary farewells to their other friend as Miroku continued on his way, heading up the shrine steps towards his temple. Kaede was back home by that point, and so it was finally time to inform her of the good news, as well, and after offering her sincerest congratulations to the couple Kaede then personally reassured Inuyasha, once he shyly admitted to the misunderstanding, that there would in fact be no objections among the local villagers regarding he and Kagome being together while she was also acting as village miko.

"Kagome does not belong to us," she told him, "so nobody here can rightfully dictate what she may do or whom she may marry. She is a stranger, albeit a wholly welcomed one, and we feel blessed to have her join our society. But she does not have any family here, and if anyone _were _going to be considered a part of her family, Inuyasha, it would be you. In the villagers' minds, you two came to us on the same day, her sudden appearance leading to your revival, and then the quest for the jewel shards began, and you were always together. Even though she is thought of as my sister's reincarnation, it seems to me that the majority of the villagers believe she came back to us to conquer the Shikon no Tama more than anything else, and now that the jewel is no more, our village peaceful for the last three years thanks to your protection, the fact that she has now returned after all this time, I am certain it is obvious to most that she has returned for you, not us."

"It's not like I actually told any of the villagers yesterday that I came back to become a miko, to take over for Kikyou..." Kagome added then, meeting Inuyasha's eyes affectionately. "Even though I was wearing the robes, I only said that I came back because this place is where I belong, and I only mentioned my spiritual powers and how they weren't needed in my old homeland as a part of the reason for why I'd finally realized that this place _is _where I belong."

Thinking about something for a moment, Kagome spoke back up and added, "Honestly, I'm surprised none of the villagers were whispering to themselves about us like that last night. I'd have thought that _somebody _would've been speaking like that loud enough for you to hear, even if they didn't realize it at the time. Sango-chan even told me that they'd talked about it with their neighbors before."

Inuyasha's eyes widened a bit at that unexpected bit of information.

"They've talked about me...us...like that, with their _neighbors?"_

Kagome giggled.

"I think they meant just more about how much it was obvious you missed me and were hurting. They said they only discussed it briefly and when they knew you weren't around to possibly overhear 'cause they didn't want to rub salt in the wound."

He snorted at that.

"Some of the villagers last night, they _were _sayin' things like how much they bet I was glad you were back, or how obvious it was that I'd missed you, but nobody said nothin' perverted, or at least not that I heard, so I just didn't think about it that way, I guess. But 'bout everyone knows how good my hearing is, so the only times I overhear stuff they don't know I'm hearin' is when they don't even realize how close by I am. If I'm right there and they can all see me, I've noticed how much everyone suddenly watches what they say. Never heard no bad things about me bein' said behind my back, though, so I never really thought much of it. Just figured it went with the territory of being all respected like a guardian youkai 'n' shit."

"You're probably right." Kagome agreed then, nodding as she thought about it. "I suppose entertaining such...adult...hypotheses in your presence would've been in bad taste, come to think of it," she relented, "especially with me wearing miko garb at the time. Even if they were thinking that we were going to get together they probably just didn't want to risk angering you by saying it out loud, if you'd have thought them saying such things was being disrespectful in some way. Getting on your bad side is apparently a real concern of a lot of them."

"Keh, don't know why. Not like I ever went off on anybody and gave 'em reason to fear me."

"It is not that they fear provoking a monster who would attack them without just cause, Inuyasha. You are above them. They fear angering you from a place of status; they fear dishonor and retribution." Kaede explained. "You are the son of a lord, in the youkai realm, and everyone knows this. They know you are also half human, but your mother was also a nobleman's daughter, and they know this as well. You are our spiritual guardian in the flesh. I quite believe, should you one day fall in battle, that they would worship your ghost as a forest kami."

Inuyasha snorted in amusement at that thought.

"I know, it's...it's just weird. After spending over a hundred years being treated like a common oni I don't really _feel _like the son of a lord, ya know? And a kami? Give me a break."

"It's clear that's how they see you, though..." Kagome agreed with a tender smile. "I saw how quickly their demeanor changed when you shook your head to get rid of whatever you'd been thinking about and then had to lie about having a fly in your ear to assure them they hadn't said or done anything to anger you."

Said ears lowered to his head as she called attention to them in that moment.

"Didn't think you were gonna call me out on that one."

Kagome only giggled again, reaching over to gently touch his hand, even though what she _really _wanted to do was rub one of the aforementioned ears.

"It's okay, you don't have to tell me what you'd been thinking about. I'm sure it had something to do with our misunderstanding, but that's all been resolved now."

Surprisingly, he smirked at her, and leaned over to whisper in _her_ ear, "I don't mind telling you what I was thinking, but later, when we're alone."

That implication alone was enough to have her cheeks turning a darker shade of pink than the wrap skirt of the yukata she wore, and shaking her head in amusement at the young couple, Kaede merely chuckled to herself before deciding to save her new apprentice by asking Kagome in that moment to assist with lunch preparations.

The younger miko jumped at the chance, almost literally, as she scurried away from where she'd been sitting next to Inuyasha to head over into the kitchenette side of the hut, rummaging through a cabinet for the rice she then immediately started washing. Watching her work with an amused smirk that slowly morphed into a tender smile, the sight of Kagome performing such mundane tasks the most beautiful thing in the world to him, Inuyasha decided to help out in that moment by adding some more wood to the fire. Kagome murmured her thanks to him as she put the rice on to cook, while Kaede headed out to the garden and told Rin to come inside. Looking over her vegetables for a moment, the elderly miko decided to leave her garden alone for now, and coming back inside she went through the assortment of goodies they had acquired courtesy of the villagers. There was some dried fish and some vegetables she didn't have in her own garden that would make quite a lovely stew, indeed.

Afterward, Kaede thought, she would inform Kagome and Inuyasha that she 'unfortunately' needed to work with some of the herbs that she knew were very unpleasant for the hanyou's nose. She didn't honestly have a need for cooking up those particular herbs at that moment, and the medicine would be wasted if nobody suddenly needed it within the next couple of days, but she had plenty of those herbs on hand for the time being and it was a small price to pay to give the inu-hanyou the perfect excuse to stay out with Kagome for a while. Those two needed it.


	11. I think we're alone now

Chapter 11 – I think we're alone now

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"Woo-hoo!" Kagome cried out above the sound of Inuyasha's own laughter, as he launched the two of them through the forest from treetop to treetop.

After lunch, when Kaede had told Kagome what medicine she'd needed to make, at first the younger miko had wanted to watch and learn, but as soon as Inuyasha had realized which herbs were involved and had remorsefully told Kagome he'd see her later as he'd prepared to exist the hut, Kaede had then told Kagome that there was no need to immediately launch into her miko training and that there would be plenty of time in the future to learn how to make that particular medicine. The twinkle in Kaede's good eye had made Kagome realize she was being dismissed, and _why_, and smiling then, she'd agreed, telling Inuyasha to wait up because she was coming with him.

Realizing that a yukata wasn't the best attire for hanyou-back riding, at first she'd planned on changing back into her futuristic clothing for the convenience, even though logically she knew she couldn't wear the outfit forever, but Inuyasha had surprised her then by telling her to go ahead and change back into her miko robes, instead. They were warmer, he'd explained, since the evenings were still chilly and he didn't want her getting cold again. Deciding not to question it, since his reasoning was logical enough, Kagome had ducked behind the changing screen in that moment, missing the look shared between Inuyasha and Kaede as he'd wordlessly gestured to her herbs and gave her a knowing look before silently mouthing 'thank you.'

With a quick mumble for Kaede and Rin to not wait for them at dinnertime, 'cause he didn't know how long they'd be gone and if they were too late he'd just catch them a couple of fish like back during the quest days, Inuyasha and Kagome were then out the door. They'd walked regally across the street side by side, at first, calmly heading past Hideaki's family lands, saying a few quiet hellos to the people who were outside and saw them, and then once they'd entered the treeline and were safely out of sight Inuyasha had immediately crouched down for Kagome to climb up onto his back, and she'd immediately complied.

Now, racing through the forest with no particular destination in mind, her bow across her back along with a quiver of arrows she'd borrowed from Kaede, at the elderly miko's insistence, just in case, Kagome clung tightly to her future husband as he launched them both high into the air, her eyes wide open despite watering from the wind as she took in the sight around them with a feeling of wonder, unafraid. Inuyasha laughed again as she squealed in delight, tightening his hands on her legs, grateful for the fabric between his palms and the backs of her thighs as it helped him stay focused on what was most important in that moment, like where he put his feet. Finally coming upon a clearing, he touched down, and reluctantly let her slide off his back.

"Kami, I've missed that." Kagome said with a huge grin as soon as he turned around to face her, his own soft smile revealing the tips of his fangs.

"It's different when we're not chasin' something or bein' chased." he commented.

"Yeah, it's _better_."

"Yeah..."

_And the very first time she rode on my back like that, I was gonna let her fall to her death after she killed the shibugarasu_... he thought in sudden horror, his ears lowering as his face took on a look of shame before he turned his head to look away.

His sudden shift in mood was impossible to miss.

"What's wrong?" Kagome asked, concerned.

"Just remembering what a total heartless ass I used to be." he answered morosely, and Kagome walked up to him and offered him a warm smile at his words, believing he was referring only to how rude he'd used to act towards her.

"That's all right," she said sincerely, "people change. You certainly have. And besides that, I know that deep down inside, you were just acting gruff to cover up your feelings of insecurity."

"That came later." he said instead of denying her claim outright, meeting her eyes with a tender, loving expression that also silently begged forgiveness. "Once I started to get to know you, once you expressed wanting us to be friends, I did keep my walls up to avoid being hurt, but when I _first _met you..."

"You tried to kill me." she finished for him, her smile never wavering. His eyes opened wide in surprise of her nonchalance.

"What?" she teased. "Did you think I'd forgotten? If Kaede-baa-chan hadn't put these on you..." She reached up and fingered the beads around his neck, a frown forming on her own face that time. "I...I should probably remove this, shouldn't I?" Her tone of voice was embarrassed. "You haven't needed it for a _long _time."

Kagome placed both hands on the kotodama no nenju and prepared to lift it up over his head, but Inuyasha reached up with both of his own hands to gently grasp her wrists, stopping her.

"Inuyasha...?"

"Keh, leave it." he said, his tone gentle. "I know you won't ever abuse the thing, and if I ever _deserve _it..."

"Nobody deserves having their face slammed into the ground."

He shrugged.

"It also helps whenever Miroku 'n' I get hired to do an extermination job." he explained. "I've seen it in their eyes. I've heard the whispers. Everyone _here _knows the rosary is yours, your collar around my neck...I didn't mean that in a _bad_ way." he added when she opened her mouth to protest. She closed her mouth and let him continue. "But strangers who've heard about us, the monk and his hanyou companion, they'll seek us out if they're desperate enough, but they're also worried, I can tell. When they see me wearin' the rosary, they think Miroku's the one who's got control, like he's my inugami-mochi or somethin'. It puts their minds to rest. I never used to care what strangers thought, but, well, Miroku needs those jobs. He does got a family to take care of, after all. If me wearin' the rosary helps the villages we travel to let us do our thing without hassle, 'cause they think it means he's got me under his control, then let 'em think it."

"You sure?" she asked, hesitant to believe he was actually okay with the rosary staying on indefinitely.

He nodded, and smiling warmly, he reached up and cupped her left cheek with his right hand. She leaned into his touch.

"I was glad I still had it while you were away. It's my connection to you. Could've been what let me pass through the well to your world, for all we know. We know other shit could get through if it went with one of us, like that Yura bitch's hair followed me that one time, but I could always come and go as I pleased, with or without you. Could've been this..." He released her cheek to tug on the beads. "Don't think there was ever a time I tried to travel to your world while you stayed here, so it for all we know it was the fact that you were already over there, and this connected us, that I could come through to join you."

"And it's not a _bad _thing that the villagers know it's my collar around your neck?" she asked, eyes sparkling with both love and amusement.

He shrugged again, blushing mildly but still smiling.

"Hell, if they're gonna see me as an inugami either way, I'd rather _you _be my owner a million times over than the bouzu."

Kagome snickered, but then calmed back down, getting a little more serious.

"You know that's not how _I _see you, though, right? I mean, I understand that you're half inu-youkai, but you're not an inu_gami_. You're not an inferior animal servant. You're a person."

He smirked playfully.

"I'm _half _person, yeah, but I really _am _canine, Kagome. It's okay to see me like that, so long as you don't mind having a dog for a husband."

On the one hand he was just joking around and teasing, but on the other hand, his statement was also secretly a test. He knew she didn't have a problem with his youkai half, but he hoped it wasn't secretly because she could just see past his youkai features to the presumably human man that lied hidden within, like how Kikyou had seen him. Kagome, unlike Kikyou, did not want him to shed his youkai skin, he knew. She accepted the whole package; that was a given. But they'd never really bothered to have this kind of a heart-to-heart before and he needed to make sure she understood that he wasn't a human man trapped within a youkai's body. Nor was he a youkai trapped within a human body. He now accepted the fact that he was both, and hopefully, so did she. Hopefully, that's really how she'd seen him all along.

_I know she's always said she likes me as a hanyou, but having a hanyou __friend__ and having a hanyou __husband__ are two very different things_...

Still, she _had _said pretty boldly, that very morning, that she'd walked away from her life in the future to become the wife of an inu-hanyou. He hadn't forgotten that.

Kagome's contemplative expression in that moment made him curious, as his ears trained forward, noting how relaxed she was, her heart rate calm.

"There is an old folktale, or at least, it's old in my family's time, called 'The dog and his wife.'" she said at last, and Inuyasha stared at her, unblinking in his surprise. She continued.

"The original story was very short, and several different expanded versions have sprung up since then, with differing details, but the gist of it is that a lost man in the woods stumbles upon a cabin and begs the woman who lives there to let him stay the night. Showing sympathy, she complies, but warns him of her husband, an inu-youkai. Most likely a yamainu, I'd say; he's in dog form. Some versions of the tale say she had the man pretend to be a brother she hadn't seen in ages and she had to beg her husband to let him stay. Either way, her canine husband lets the man stay the night, and in the morning the woman makes the man promise to never tell a soul what he's seen. Some versions of the story say the man told everyone immediately upon returning to the capital, other versions say it took time, what he'd witnessed warping in his mind, until the happy wife and husband became an imprisoned woman and monster in his mind. Either way, he raises an army to supposedly 'rescue' the woman, but when they return the cabin is empty, or some versions say they saw the woman and dog fleeing together just as they arrived. Some versions also say they fight the dog, and the dog kills them all."

She met his eyes with a knowing look in her own.

"If people ever tried to 'rescue' _me _I'm pretty sure you'd want to stay and fight, not run away..." she acknowledged, offering no protest over the notion. "But, no, Inuyasha," she assured him then, her expression serious, "your canine side doesn't bother me in the slightest. I can't honestly say whether I would've fallen in love with you had you been a weaker youkai, like Kirara, who I know is just as intelligent as a person even though she's always in animal form. Things would've been...different. I think we _both _would have seen each other differently if that'd been the case, if you were actually a dog. But, Inuyasha? Even if you werea full-blooded inu-youkai like you'd originally wanted to become, a daiyoukai like Sesshoumaru, like your father, with a humanoid form and 'true' dog form, then yes, I'd still want to become your wife even then. Maybe I _am _the dog's wife. Maybe that old legend is actually about _us_."

He stared at her, mouth agape, not unlike the expression he'd sported that morning when she'd blown off the importance of being a miko, when she'd finally made her feelings clear. Then, slowly but surely, a playful grin crept its way up his lips, until the tips of his fangs were visible again.

"Woof." he said with a deep chuckle, earning a snicker from her in return. He shook his head in amazement. "If I had a tail, it'd be wagging right now."

Giggling at that visual, Kagome said, "Now that'd be something to see."

Reaching up with her right hand, she patted him on the top of his head, between his ears.

"Good boy." she said in a teasing tone of voice.

He barked out a laugh at that and grabbed her arm, yanking her to him before then wrapping his arms back around her in a firm embrace.

"I'll show you a _good boy_..." he teased back, before hungrily pressing his mouth to hers.

Kagome was surprised by his sudden boldness but definitely had no complaints, as she eagerly returned his kiss. Inuyasha kept his hands in safe territory, on her back and the back of her head, but the way he gripped her bespoke of his desperation, his desire to bring her in even closer. She fisted his hair and suikan in return, letting him know she was just as desperate. They each lost track of time, periodically breaking away for a few seconds for gulps of air before diving back in for more. For a moment it seemed as if the kiss was going to last forever, and they were both all right with that. It was Kagome's sudden surprised squeak of pain that snapped Inuyasha out of his trance, as he backed away almost panicked, the scent and taste of blood throwing his instincts into high alert.

"Shit! I'm sorry!"

Kagome had to blink a few times to bring her mind back into the here and now, her lower lip stinging mildly. She saw Inuyasha's absolutely terrified expression, as he hesitantly raised the back of his right index finger up to her lip, and when it came away red Kagome reached up with her left hand to press against her mouth, feeling the tiny puncture wound on the inside of her lip with her tongue.

"Wow, okay. So being with an inu-hanyou lesson number one, be more cautious of his fangs." she said half to herself after a moment, her joyful laugh and amused expression shocking him more than her words.

"You...you're not...mad?"

She offered him another warm smile.

"It was obviously an accident. Why would I be mad?"

He didn't answer, merely pulling her into a tender hug, nuzzling his nose into the side of her neck where her throat met her shoulder. He whimpered softly and licked the side of her throat, and laughing gently, Kagome ran her hand through his hair before reaching up to gently tweak an ear. He pulled back then and met her eyes, the look in his own again full of both love and awe.

"I don't know what the fuck I did to deserve you. I _don't _deserve you." he said, his voice quiet, almost a whisper.

Kagome adopted another contemplative look, finger on her chin.

"Maybe I'm your reward for how crappy your life used to be."

He sighed, chuckling darkly.

"I am so, _so _glad I didn't hurt you back when I didn't know you, when I didn't care." he confessed. "My stupid ass probably wouldn't even have regretted it, never aware of what I would now be missing. Kami, Kagome, if anything ever happens to you..."

"Shhh...it's okay..." she reassured, stepping forward to hug him once more.

"I...I didn't just almost cut you down right after killing the centipede." He just had to confess; he had to get it off his chest, no secrets between them. "If you'd have successfully shot down the shibugarasu when we'd been chasing it, I...I was going to let you fall."

Kagome stiffened in his embrace, surprised by the admittance, but she relaxed again just as quickly, realizing how hard it must have been for him to tell her such a thing. She pulled back again, meeting his eyes, and grasped both of his hands in hers, squeezing to emphasize her support.

"You didn't want me in the beginning, but I didn't want you, either. I tried to run away, remember? Those bandits never would have captured me in the first place if I hadn't. And if you hadn't come to get me when Yura attacked, I wouldn't have come back, ever. Even after shattering the jewel, even after what Kaede-baa-chan had told us, I hadn't cared. Well, I'd _cared_, but not enough to come back. I'd been a selfish teenager, just wanting my normal life back. It'd taken our experience with Sakasa-gami no Yura to realize how important my responsibilities here were. So please, don't beat yourself up over what could have happened, what you would have done 'if' this or 'if' that. It didn't happen that way, and didn't we already agree that everything happens for a reason? Everything happened as it was meant to."

Her lips quirked up into a half-smirk as she continued.

"If you were going to let me fall after shooting down the corpse dancing crow, then I guess now I know why I botched that first shot so badly," she laughed, "even after secretly praying for Kikyou to lend me her strength. Maybe she was there, after all. Maybe she _did_ help, and she made me _miss, _because everything that happened was destined to happen just the way it did, including shattering the jewel."

No longer appearing either in awe of her forgiveness or remorseful of his old behavior, it was Inuyasha who had a contemplative look as he absorbed Kagome's words.

"Even shattering the jewel, huh? You no longer beating yourself up over that? I'm sorry I always threw it in your face back then."

She sighed, her smile becoming bitter-sweet.

"It's true that a lot of people died because of all those blasted jewel shards, but over the last three years I got to thinking. What probably would've happened if the jewel _hadn't _broken? And don't go off into 'what if' land regarding what _you _might have done with it. I'm talking about Naraku."

Inuyasha's eyes widened at that.

"Yeah...that bastard, he was out there, somewhere. The youkai were already coming in; word of the jewel was out there, too. That Yura bitch, she hadn't even known it'd shattered until after she got here; she was after the whole intact jewel. But you're right, never mind her, and never mind me. If _Naraku _had shown up for the jewel..."

She continued where he let his words trail off.

"It's really a matter of when, not if. He _would _have shown up as soon as he learned that the jewel was back. Back when you and I hardly got along at all, and certainly weren't a good fighting team. Back when I couldn't hit the broad side of a barn and you didn't have Tessaiga yet. No Miroku-sama, no Sango-chan...not even the remote possibility of Kikyou helping out because Urasue only brought her back to help her find the shards."

"Naraku would have killed us easily, and been in immediate possession of the complete jewel." Inuyasha concluded, realizing it for the first time.

"And a whole hell of a lot _more _people would have died." Kagome added.

He smiled at her, and she smiled back, which showcased her slightly swollen lower lip. His ears lowered, a grimace returning to his face.

"If _everything _happens as it was meant to, why the fuck was I meant to bite your lip just now? I feel like such a bastard."

Kagome only rolled her eyes, continuing to smile.

"A lesson learned? Mistakes happen, we learn from them and move on. It was bound to happen eventually until we realized we needed to be more careful. Now we know."

She stepped up closer, erasing the small gap between them.

"Now...we know...to be...more careful..." she repeated slowly between gentle pecks on his lips, as she raised herself up on her tiptoes to meet his mouth with hers while he stood ramrod straight, not bending down to meet her partway in his unease.

It didn't take too long for him to melt against her, though, and as she pulled back, standing back flatly on her feet, he bent down and lowered his head to meet her lips in yet another kiss, more aware of his fangs this time as he refused to completely lose himself in his passion. This latest kiss was slow and tender, instead of rushed and hungry. He was apologizing to her mouth with his own, and Kagome showed him how readily she really did forgive him by showing no fear, even going so far as to delicately trace his fangs with her tongue. He hesitantly allowed her the exploration, relieved when she didn't cut herself, and then he dared to engage in some mild exploration of his own as he slowly pulled his mouth away from hers but didn't cease the kiss, placing chaste pecks along the sides of her mouth, her cheeks, her chin, before wending lower and tracing her neck with his tongue before placing a few heated, opened-mouthed kisses along both sides of her throat. Kagome tilted her head back to grant him better access, her eyes closed in bliss, and as he hit a particularly sensitive spot she moaned quietly in pleasure. He smirked against her skin at the sound and continued to lave her neck with his tongue, until the scent of her arousal hit his nose and he groaned, pulling back reluctantly.

"I...uh...maybe we shouldn't...that is...you...damn it."

Shyly, he reached up and rubbed at the back of his neck, blushing at her confused expression.

"I...uh...I can tell you...want me, and I want you _too_, but..." He couldn't spit it out. He couldn't admit that he was afraid.

Kagome didn't need him to spell it out for her, though. As understanding dawned, as she watched him fumble over his explanation for stopping, she tried not to laugh at the expression on his face, a cross between fear and desire. For as old as he actually was, and honestly, she didn't even _know _how old he was, he was for all intents and purposes a teenager, same as her. That he had his own set of hormones, and was apparently perfectly aware of _her _hormones, both embarrassed and excited her.

She grabbed his hand.

"Sit with me." she said, as she moved to take a seat on the soft grass, gently tugging at the hand she held until he complied, sitting down beside her.

Setting her bow and arrows aside as he did the same with Tessaiga, both of them getting a little more comfortable, Kagome leaned against him then, her right temple resting on his left shoulder as she reached across her body to gentle hold his left hand with her left, their joined hands resting together on his left knee.

"There's no hurry...for anything." she told him then. "I'm happy just to be here with you."

"Yeah..." he agreed, giving her hand a little squeeze as he turned his head enough to sniff at the top of her head, taking in the scent of her hair.

She giggled.

"You really do love my scent, huh?" she asked, amused.

"How could I not?" he countered. "It smells like _you_."

He released her hand and adjusted his left arm to wrap it around her body, and she snuggled even closer against him as he held her to him gently, his sleeve blanketing her petite form.

"You've known for years that I'd been lyin' 'bout hating your smell."

She laughed quietly at the memory.

"Yeah, I remember when you first told me that. But then the next morning you were so closed off, as if trying to act like the night before had never happened. I didn't know _what _to think."

He snorted.

"I _had _been tryin' to pretend it'd never happened. I was embarrassed as hell, confessin' shit in my fevered state like that."

"I didn't understand that back then, but as the months went on I eventually figured you out." Kagome said, snickering.

He raised an eyebrow she didn't see, as he glanced down at the top of her head.

"Oh, so you've got me all figured out now, do you?"

"I came back to be with you, didn't I?"

He laughed a little at that, and sighed, relaxing.

"Guess you really did figure me out, then. Otherwise, with the way I always used to act, you should've ran for the hills."

It was her turn to snort a laugh, which he found incredibly endearing.

"'Acting' is right, but that's all in the past now, unless you've got any other attempts on my life you want to confess."

He could tell from her tone of voice that she was just kidding, and wasn't holding his previous confession against him in any way.

"Hell, despite my intentions, you became fucking important to me fucking fast. Only other thing regarding your various near misses that I need to confess is how badly it actually shook me up inside each and every time I thought I'd lost you, no matter how much I'd pretended otherwise at the time."

"You became important to me too, you know. Why do you think I was crying that first new moon night?"

"Yeah...I know." he said, giving her body a little squeeze.

They sat together like that in silence for the next twenty minutes or so, each simply enjoying being in the other's company. They were in a completely isolated little clearing deep in the middle of his forest, much too far from the village for even a hunter to stumble upon them, and honestly, Inuyasha was in no hurry to head back. The sun hadn't even set yet. He'd stay with Kagome right where they were all night long if she wanted to.

Finally, the silence was broken when Kagome's voice piped back up with, "Got anything naughty to confess, then?"

He choked and coughed, although to her it also sounded like a laugh was thrown into the mix.

"Hentai little miko. What's gotten into you?"

Kagome chose not to make any comments about what would _eventually _be getting _into _her, and instead reminded him, "You said you'd tell me what you'd been thinking last night when you lied about the fly getting in your ear, remember?"

He laughed nervously that time, and she could hear him exhaling a deep breath.

"You sure you wanna know?" he stalled, in a 'don't say I didn't warn you' kind of tone.

She snorted again.

"You already told me how you'd been tempted to tell me to undress out of the miko robes, a play off of the first time you'd ever seen me in them. Can't be much worse than that, right?"

"Oh yes it can."

Instead of his assuredness embarrassing or unsettling her, she felt intrigued, sitting up only enough to glance up and meet his eyes.

"Really? My innocent little Inuyasha has had naughtier thoughts than just wanting to get me naked? Now you _have _to tell me."

She could sense his hesitation, so she jokingly added, "Show me yours and I'll show you mine."

He laughed again at that, the sound less nervous and more amused that time.

"Okay, well..." He cleared his throat. "I'd been thinking 'bout the reasons why you wanted to be a miko, and my thoughts had wandered into wonderin' if maybe you'd thought that _I _only wanted to be friends, and so you'd decided to become a miko because you were a single woman with no family and that was the only fit career for you in this world, without a husband to take care of you..."

"That's it? That's tame."

"...I'm not finished yet."

She sat up fully then, and scooted herself around so that she was sitting cross-legged directly in front of him, grateful for the hakama she wore as she more or less mirrored his posture. Her eyes were amused, anticipating, and he blushed, turning his face away from hers.

"With the villagers yammerin' on as they'd been my mind had been wanderin', ya know?"

"You're still stalling."

"I'm explaining!" he countered, face darkening further. "It's...it's different, thinking of you _like that_ with you freakin' _right here_."

"Like what?" She blinked at him with a falsely innocently smile, before suddenly reaching forward with her right hand to grab his left, bringing it up and placing it over her right breast before he had a chance to realize what she was doing and stop her. "Like this?"

He stared at his hand on her breast, transfixed, not daring to believe she'd actually, really just done that.

"I...uh..." He squeezed gently, his eyes open wide in wonder, although her knowing smirk made him yank his hand away, cheeks turning a darker shade of red.

Clearing his throat, he looked up to meet her amused eyes with his embarrassed ones. He continued. "I started to think, well, of course you'd become a miko if you were going to stay single, 'cause what other career choice _is _there for a single woman with no family, right? But then _that _thought led to realizin' what other career _does _exist for such a woman...and I was thinking I'd rather have you be a miko!" He added that last part quickly as she raised an eyebrow at him.

He cleared his throat again.

"But...but _then _I'd thought, I'd thought that...well, at least if you were...I mean, I'd been so upset that as a miko I'd thought I could never have you the way I _wanted_..."

Her eyes lit up in realization.

"So you'd thought that, hypothetically, if I _were_ to become a prostitute, then at least that way you and I could still have sex?"

She laughed as she said it, not angered or offended in the slightest, but that didn't prevent his ears from lowering flatly against the top of his head as his face disappeared into the red of his fire-rat.

"It was just a stupid 'what if' moment that popped into my head, unwanted, and that's why I shook my head, to get _rid _of that thought." he grumbled shyly.

"The thought of me working in a brothel, or just any sexual thought about me at all since at the time you thought I was a 'pure' miko?"

"Uh...both?" He tried to meet her eyes, but couldn't. "I mean, what's the point in fantasizin' 'bout what I can't have?"

She adopted a seductive smirk at those words.

"But you _can _have me." she pointed out boldly.

Surprisingly, instead of getting embarrassed again, his look hardened somewhat, his natural jealousy coming to the surface.

"Yeah, me 'n' _no one _else."

"Oh, absolutely." Kagome answered seriously, deciding not to tease him anymore regarding where his mind had wandered off to the night before. That didn't mean, however, that she was done teasing him about his fantasies in their entirety.

"So, obviously, that wasn't your first time fantasizing about me." she stated matter-of-factly then.

He snorted.

"Obviously."

"Any others you feel like sharing?"

He stared at her incredulously.

"You really _are _a hentai."

She only laughed again.

"So is that a no?"

"Take it however you want it."

She smirked again.

"I'll take it however I can get it."

He spluttered.

"You know, in my fantasies, you weren't usually so brazen. Or at least not until after we were both naked."

"Oh? So I was a shy little virgin until you made me forget all about my worries?"

Something about her tone of voice gave him pause in that moment, and he eyed her critically.

She deadpanned.

"I'm _still _a virgin, you know. I'm just not as _shy_ as I used to be."

He relaxed at her reassurance, and chuckled softly.

"What about you?" she asked him then.

"Guess I'm not as shy, either, 'cause I can't imagine I ever would've used to sit still for this kind of conversation."

"I never would've _let _us have this kind of conversation!" Kagome said, laughing at herself.

"Yeah, no shit. One word about you naked and I would've been eatin' dirt."

It was Kagome's turn to blush.

"I'm sorry...I was a lot more immature back then. There were a lot of times when I said 'it' that I shouldn't have."

He waved off her concern and apology.

"The past is in the past." he said, as his way of telling her not to dwell on it.

"That's true...we should definitely look towards our future. But that doesn't mean we should forget about our pasts, and I'd like to know more about yours, if you're willing to share."

Her tone of voice was leading, clearly hinting at something specific. It took him a minute, and he almost just asked her what she was talking about, but then understanding dawned.

"I've never been with anyone before, either, if that's what you're hinting at." The look in his eyes expressed that he didn't appreciate her suspicion any more than she had his.

Her expression revealed that while she was pleased to hear this, she wasn't quite as relieved as he'd been, or would have been quite as jealous as he would have been had his answer been different.

"I wasn't sure." she admitted with a helpless shrug. "I mean, it's different for men, especially in this time period, and with as old as you are... How old _are_ you, anyway?"

He snorted, and then sighed, deciding he could open up to her. She _was _going to be his wife, after all.

"If you count the fifty years I was sealed to the tree, then I guess I'm about two centuries old, I think, give or take a decade or two. Honestly, I've lost track. Time passes differently for youkai, especially when you're out on your own in the forest with no access to a calendar. I'm pretty sure Myouga-jijii knows the year I was born, so we could figure it out. But either way, it's only been these last three years where I've been treated decently by any human village, so having a relationship with someone, _anyone, _as a hanyou, was definitely out. Still," he admitted, "you actually aren't the first person to ask me that. If I'd been with anyone, I mean. Miroku couldn't believe it when I insisted I've never snuck into a big city on my human night to buy a whore, but honestly, I was just too afraid. I didn't tell _him _that was the reason. I just told him I'm not as perverted as he is."

He chuckled a little at the fairly recent memory.

"Truthfully, it's not like the thought didn't cross my mind. I used to sneak into big cities on my human night all the time, for protection from the forest youkai, but I just crept in the alleys, keeping my senses, or what little of them I had left, on high alert. Couldn't afford to lose myself to carnal desires. What if an enemy had seen and followed me? What if they'd thought it the perfect opportunity to strike? As much as the warm-blooded guy in me had wanted to have sex, it just wasn't worth risking my life. Maybe that's being paranoid, but I'm still alive."

Kagome nodded to that, realizing it really did make perfect sense. But still, two hundred years...?

_Wow_...

That was quite the dry spell.

"Well," she spoke up then, "if you _had _had past experiences, even in the last three years, so long as it was purely physical, with that kind of a woman, I wouldn't have been angry with you for it. That sort of thing is frowned upon a little more back where I come from, but even so it's still pretty popular, and I know it's not even really considered a bad thing here, for the men at least. Of course, now that we're going to be married I won't allow it, so now you're stuck with me and only me."

She grinned smugly as she said that last part, sticking out her tongue, and shaking his head with his own smile, Inuyasha snorted a laugh.

"I'm glad I waited. I'm glad you'll also be _my _first."

Kagome's heart absolutely melted at those words, and she started to blubber about how that was the most romantic thing he'd ever said to her, but he quickly cut off her girlie gushing before she was too far gone.

"Don't go changin' the subject." he said with playful firmness. "You owe me a fantasy confession, remember?"

She blinked, surprised.

"You really want to hear one? It won't embarrass you?"

"Hell yes it'll embarrass me, but hell yes I wanna hear, so spill!"

She laughed and he offered her a crooked smile, chuckling as well.

"Okay, well...let me think of a good one..."

_Shit, how many different fantasies has she had?_ he wondered silently. The sound of her voice immediately captured his full attention.

"I used to daydream, when Sango-chan and I would go soak in a hot spring near camp, that I'd stay behind in the spring by myself for a while after she was done, and then I'd sense your aura getting closer, and I knew you were spying. Instead of subduing you, I'd pretend I didn't know you were there, and let you look. Sometimes, I was half tempted to actually send Sango-chan back to camp just to see if you'd really show up in real life, even if it was just to 'protect' me 'cause I was alone and vulnerable. I imagined touching myself, and that it'd get you excited, and then when you came out of the shadows I'd invite you to join me in the water, and you'd-"

"Okay, you need to stop right there." he said, his voice noticeably hoarse. More than just his ears were standing at attention at that point.

Kagome was also just as excited, he could tell.

"Could you...uh...change how you're sitting?" he asked bluntly, tapping his nose.

Kagome's face did a lovely impersonation of a tomato at his words, as she squeaked and shifted her legs around to tuck them both underneath herself while sitting on her knees, like how women were supposed to sit. Suddenly becoming incredibly fascinated by the blades of grass, it was the sound of Inuyasha's deep chuckling that made her dare to glance up at his face again.

"Maybe, one day, we can take the time to act out all our fantasies, but not today." he said bravely, and she smiled slyly.

"It'll take more than one day."

He only laughed again.

"I don't doubt it. You don't know _half _the shit I've thought of over the years."

"And you call _me _a hentai. You've been hanging around Miroku-sama for too long."

They both laughed that time, and Kagome moved to snuggle up against him again.

"Come're..." he said, as he lied back and tugged on her to lie down with him, and Kagome didn't hesitate to comply, lying down with him across the grass, staring up at the clouds.

His left arm was back around her body again, his left hand resting tenderly upon her left hip, her body tucked up against his side as she lied on her right side while he was on his back, her head on his shoulder as she snuggled against him. Tessaiga was within easy reach, should he need it, but he sensed no danger for miles around. The evening was peaceful. Tilting his head to bury his nose in her hair, breathing deeply, Inuyasha felt his entire body relax. He could lie like that forever, with Kagome in his arms. As they silently watched the clouds go by, a part of him wished the evening would never end.


	12. Sunshine, Lollipops and Rainbows

Chapter 12 – Sunshine, Lollipops and Rainbows

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They stayed like that for neither of them knew how long, merely relishing in each other's company, the cool evening breeze tickling their skin. Kagome was finally the one who broke the peaceful silence between them, but only to murmur, "I could stay like this forever."

Inuyasha chuckled quietly at the comment, which so perfectly mirrored his own thoughts.

"Me too." he said. "One day, once we have a house of our own, we can sleep like this every night." he promised.

"Who says we have to wait?" Kagome asked in reply. "We can sleep like this at Kaede-baa-chan's house, unless you prefer being up against your wall." she teased.

"Hell no." he admitted, completely obliterating his previous lie about not minding sleeping sitting up. "It was so hard to resist you these last two nights. It was only the unknown keeping me against that wall. I don't know how the hell I'm supposed to stay away from you now."

"Who says you have to?" she asked again, more seriously that time. "I mean, obviously we can't _do _anything in Kaede-baa-chan's house with her and Rin-chan both in the same room, but I'm sure she wouldn't mind it if we just slept next to each other like this. We don't have to wait until our house is finished."

"But we still ain't married yet." he pointed out.

"Well _that _doesn't have to wait until our house is finished, either. We could get married tomorrow if you wanted to."

He rolled that truth around in his head for a moment and then tightened his grip on her, as if trying to bring her in even closer. Wordlessly, she complied, reaching across his chest with her left hand to fist the fabric over his right shoulder, her left leg bending at the knee a little to creep partway up over his left leg, half-embracing him in their horizontal position as she stretched her neck up and kissed his jaw. He turned his head to look at her then, really look at her, and something about lying flat on the ground with Kagome in his arms made something click inside his brain. Turning himself slightly onto his right side, then, he met her lips with his, still being more careful of his fangs than before although this kiss was definitely more heated than the last. Kagome gripped his suikan even tighter, her right arm tucked in between them in her current position although she didn't mind. He didn't use his left hand for anything except holding her to him, his right hand making its way up to cup her left cheek. Her left hand released his jacket and worked its way up onto the back of his head, before traveling even higher, to delicately rub his right ear.

He growled into the kiss, and partway wrapped his right leg over her left, his right hand brazenly finding its way down to her left breast, and Kagome responded by moaning her appreciation, continuing to gently rub the tender flesh of his ear between her fingers.

Unbeknownst to either of them, Kagome's left leg gradually became more bent, Inuyasha's right leg doing the same, until they were both more or less straddling each other's thighs, their legs completely intertwined. Something hard and impossible to ignore began pressing against the miko, then, and at the sound of Inuyasha's quiet moans, as he slowly began rocking against her while continuing to palm her breast, Kagome chose to release her fiancé's ear, her hand making the brave journey downward, but her exploration was halted when his hand suddenly left her breast to grab her wrist almost desperately.

"We need to stop..." he panted, pulling his head back far enough from hers to look her in the eyes, his expression once again a combination of desire and fear. Perhaps it was his desire itself that he feared the most.

Kagome didn't really feel like stopping, but reminded herself in that moment that they'd only gotten their feelings for each other sorted out that very morning. They had both already agreed to take things at least a _little _slowly. They didn't have to jump in bed together _right _away.

"Whatever you want." she relented then, untangling her legs from his.

"What I _want _and what's _right _are two different things." he replied, closing his eyes and groaning as he reached into the open side of his hakama to adjust himself, his restrained arousal more than a little uncomfortable. "You deserve better than to be taken by an animal out in the middle of the woods."

She blinked at him.

"Okay, first of all, out in the woods doesn't bother me in the slightest. Second, you mean to be taken _like _an animal, right?"

His eyes widened in panic as he realized what'd slipped out instead, and at his expression she frowned at him, and since they were both still lying on the ground, facing each other, she moved over him in that moment, climbing on top of him and sitting up to straddle his lap as she pushed him over to lie flat on his back again. He groaned, his hands automatically moving to her hips. Her heat was _right there_, directly over him, and he knew she _had_ to feel the way his arousal was pressing up against her; there was no way she couldn't.

"What did I just say about accepting your inu half?" she asked him then, clearly irritated. "If you don't want to do anything outdoors, that's fine, but if I'd wanted a _human_ husband I would have stayed on the other side of the well. Don't you forget it, or maybe I _will _have to use the rosary, if acting like your owner will help get my point across."

He blinked up at her in surprise, then smirked, his crooked grin revealing a fang.

"Yes, Master."

"Hmmm..." Kagome hummed, finger on her chin. "I like the sound of that."

He started to laugh, but the sound was immediately cut off as she began rocking against him, his eyes widening in panic while hers sparkled with amusement. Sneaky little bitch! He immediately used his hands on her hips to still her movements.

"Damn, woman. I take it back, _you're _the animal." he said, laughing a little despite himself.

Kagome chuckled as well, but then got a little more serious again.

"Seriously, though," she asked, "you aren't actually worried that I'm bothered by your inu-youkai half, are you?"

"No..." She raised an eyebrow at him. "Maybe..." he admitted, chuckling again to mask his embarrassment at admitting such a thing. Taking a deep breath, he added, "Look, I know other couples sneak off into the forest. _Believe _me, I know."

She laughed at that.

"But you...you deserve better. You're special to me. I just...it doesn't feel right."

Kagome knew she could not argue that point. Not because she agreed with him, but because everyone's own personal thoughts and feelings were different, and if he honestly had issue with them making love in the forest, if he felt it demeaned her in some way, then she would not try to seduce him if he would later regret it. She _would_ try to get him to change his mind, since it wasn't exactly like they had a house at their disposal just yet and waiting for their own to get built was crazy, but she would try to persuade him with words, not her body, and at a later time. Surely he would view things differently after they were actually married. Maybe he just didn't want to bed her before their marriage was official.

"Okay, I feel differently, but I'll respect your wishes." she said then, getting off of him.

He immediately rose to his feet, his expression apologetic. Talking about his feelings was still the hardest thing for him to do, but he knew she deserved it. He owed her _at least _that much.

"I just think...you've already sacrificed _so _much, and to love me despite my youkai blood? To _actually _be willing to have a dog for a husband? The least I can do is treat you like the human woman you are. My youkai instincts, they're at war with my human heart, but I'm gonna let my human heart win on this one."

There, that was the truth. He didn't have to also admit how absolutely terrified he was. Not wanting to do it in the forest, it wasn't really an _excuse, _because he most certainly _did _believe she deserved better and he _did _want to wait until they had a roof over their heads; she didn't need to know the rest of it. Not yet at least.

Of course, Kagome could sense that there was more to it than what he'd told her, although she also believed that everything he'd told her was true. She'd seen the flashes of fear in his eyes, though. She knew it wasn't _just_ about her 'deserving better'. She knew he was afraid. Was it possible he was only afraid of losing control and 'defiling' her? That, she wasn't sure. Maybe he was holding on by a thread and he feared his control might snap at any moment. On the other hand, maybe he was just nervous about the idea of intimacy. Knowing now that he was a virgin, and also considering that up until that very morning he'd gotten it in his head that they were still only friends, that she was untouchable, she could understand how it might now seem a little too zero-to-sixty for his tastes. Considering how long it'd originally taken him to warm up to her as just a friend back during the shard quest, she knew she couldn't reasonably expect him to tear the rest of his walls down in their entirety _that _quickly.

"So, are we headed back now?" she asked to change the subject.

Observing the setting sun, and realizing they had indeed missed dinnertime, Inuyasha said, "No hurry. We can head to the river instead and I'll catch us some fish for dinner before we head back." Under his breath he added that he could use a dip in the cold water, and grinning slyly, Kagome pretended not to hear him.

oooooooooo

Behaving themselves the rest of the evening, Inuyasha's need for a dip in the river left him by the time they actually reached it, although that didn't stop him from catching the promised fish, after first helping his bride-to-be whip up a quick campfire. Kagome still remembered the technique of how to create a safe firepit in the earth, how to line it properly and fill it with the needed kindling before the cliché act of gathering firewood, but the one thing she didn't personally know how to do was start a fire without her matches. She knew _of _the drilling technique, and had watched Inuyasha do it before on numerous occasions, but it was something she'd never personally tried. Back during the quest he'd usually preferred that she save her matches for the times when he was out of or very low on tinder, when it'd be harder for him to make a fire egg to ignite the rest of their kindling. She knew he usually always tried to keep the leather pouch he wore against his kosode full of some sort of tinder material or another, but sometimes he ran out, or other times, it got wet, and then in those cases her matches had always been an invaluable backup. Watching him make their fire that evening, she knew his demonic speed and accuracy probably made it look way easier than it actually was, but even though she didn't really think the drilling method was for her she knew she would _definitely_ need to learn how to make a fire with a flint and steel, like Kaede used. She'd ask the elder miko to show her how in the morning. Couldn't very well get through life in the Sengoku jidai without knowing how to make fire, after all.

Dinner was pleasant, Kagome coming up with plenty of non-hentai things to talk about as she shared a few mundane stories of her life over the last three years with Inuyasha. They also discussed the various luxuries she'd left behind in her world that could be duplicated in his. Inuyasha promised her that no matter how long it took to get the money together, he'd get her her own bathtub, better than Sango's. Oh, he'd get her a large wash bin like the slayer's initially, so she'd at least have _something_, but as soon as he could swing it he'd get her a proper bathtub, big enough to stretch out in. A _real _bathtub, like the kind at the nicer bath houses, where the tub's got a place for its own fire to heat the water, and the water could be drained out of it easily when need be.

Remembering what Miroku had said, Kagome teased Inuyasha that he just wanted to get her a bathtub so that he could finally watch her bathe without getting in trouble for it, but he got her back for her teasing when he replied with a serious face that that wasn't the _only _reason. They both laughed.

Getting serious again, he also promised her he'd get them a futon, so that she wouldn't have to sleep on the floor. She could tell from his tone of voice that he was being completely innocent, with actual sleep in mind, but silently, Kagome acknowledged that both actual sleep as well as other non-sleep-related activities would be much more comfortable on a real futon and so she merely nodded her head in agreement. It _would _be nice.

Checking both bed and bathtub off his mental list, Inuyasha told her that whatever else she wanted for the house would also be hers. All she had to do was ask.

"I don't got any more money than what Miroku's saved for me not 'cause I _can't _earn money outside our exorcism jobs, I just never bothered to try to earn any before." he explained. "If I needed to, it'd be easy to come up with things to sell or trade on Market Day. I can hunt and fish. Could have a bunch of fresh fish to sell. Or I could pay Riku with meat and hides to tan me up some extra hides for _me_ to sell or trade at the market, and if they'd rather deal with the leatherworker they know than a hanyou then I could also just send Riku to the market town with my hides and a list of things I want."

Kagome nodded at his various ideas, truly impressed.

"Sounds like you've really thought it out."

He shrugged.

"Since like this morning, after you told me you wanted me. Before that..."

"We don't have to rehash our painful morning." Kagome interrupted. "I'd much rather think about our pleasurable afternoon."

He snorted a chuckle.

"Hentai."

She giggled.

"You know how your mind had wandered last night to the hypothetical 'what if' of if our village had a brothel and I'd chosen to become a prostitute instead of a miko?" she asked out of nowhere, earning a startled choke-laugh from her future husband.

"What of it?" he asked, his tone guarded, eyes narrowed.

She shrugged nonchalantly.

"When I'd been worried this morning, and realized our misunderstanding, it'd been because I'd thought what other reason could there have possibly been for you to be staying away this morning, staying out in the woods by yourself instead of coming back to be with me, ya know? And then in passing I'd thought that well, maybe you were actually..._you _know..."

He did know, and his cheeks took on a dark pink hue at the thought of _her _thinking about _him _possibly doing such a thing. Especially since he did do it, a lot. Swallowing, he tried to follow her example of acting more mature and less embarrassed. At least while it was just the two of them.

"Guess I'm gonna always have to make sure I'm not within sensing range at those times, or you just might walk in on me one day."

He wasn't sure what her reaction to that statement was going to be, although he seriously doubted she was going to be disgusted by the realization that he did indeed pleasure himself on occasion since _she _was the one who'd just mentioned the act so casually. In fact, she had about the furthest reaction from disgusted as she could possibly have.

"Oh, that's another one of my fantasies." she stated with a playful wink, and shaking his head in amusement, Inuyasha smirked and admitted boldly, "Me too."

"Me walking in on you, or you walking in on me?" she asked, truly curious and seeking clarification.

The question only made his cheeks and nose get even reader, and instead of answering her question he changed the subject.

"We...uh...should probably be heading back to Kaede-babaa's before it gets any later." he said, and shooting him a knowing smirk Kagome chose to go along with it.

"Yeah, it's past bedtime." she agreed.

Snuffing out their fire, they made the journey back to Kaede's village in companionable silence. All was quiet when they breached the treeline, and remaining silent as they approached Kaede's hut, Inuyasha gave Kagome a nod to let her know Kaede and Rin were asleep before he held the hanging mat aside for her to enter the hut before him. Instead of waiting for her outside like before, Inuyasha went in with her, earning a smile from the teenager that he didn't see. There _was _a changing screen, after all, and as she slipped out of her miko robes and back into her pajamas, Inuyasha enjoyed the simple knowledge that for a brief moment Kagome had been undressed while he was in the same room as her. Unbeknownst to each of them, they both daydreamed about the time, not too far in the future, when she could change her clothes right in front of him, without the use of a privacy screen.

Ready to get settled into her sleeping bag, Kagome sent Inuyasha a quiet, questioning look, asking him silently where he planned on sleeping, since he was currently sitting against the wall like he'd been the last two nights. His hesitant expression told her he wasn't quiet ready yet to make such a drastic change in their relationship, or at least, not in a room with other occupants, and so she let it go, murmuring a softly spoken "Goodnight" before settling down.

With a part of him wishing he'd had the balls to suggest they stay out in the forest all night long, and another part of him very glad indeed to be back at Kaede's because he wasn't quite sure he'd be able to resist her if left alone with her in the forest all night long, Inuyasha exhaled slowly and then repeated her quiet murmur before doing his best to fall asleep.

oooooooooo

The first thing Kagome noticed upon waking up the next morning was that Inuyasha was still there, and she sent him a delightful smile as she glanced his way, earning his smile in return. Accepting a cup of tea from Rin after reemerging from behind the changing screen in her pink and white yukata, Kagome only allowed herself a few minutes of waking up before offering to help Kaede with the breakfast preparations.

Inuyasha stayed throughout the morning meal, but soon enough, he announced that he reluctantly had to leave for a little while, to do his morning rounds.

Kagome pouted playfully but didn't otherwise protest, knowing he had a job to do, and so did she. While he was gone she could get back to her lessons with Kaede.

"I doubt I'll find any trouble, so I should be back well before lunch this time," he assured her, "and then we'll go talk to Haruto together about our house and...other things." He blushed.

"I'm looking forward to it." Kagome said, and she meant it.

Nodding his agreement and a silent goodbye, Inuyasha was out the door.

Fortunately, as predicted, his perimeter check was uneventful that morning, and with no other pending tasks keeping him from returning to Kagome's side it didn't take the inu-hanyou long to hightail it back to where he belonged. The rosary he wore, it _was _her collar around his neck, and he wouldn't have it any other way. It was weird, the way he felt about her. His inu-youkai half was drawn to her in an undeniably canine fashion. He was a dog, and she was his person. But, on the other hand, he also had a human heart, and he loved her with his human heart like a man loved a woman. He was relieved she didn't seem to be too worried about his blend of human and youkai thoughts and feelings, and especially that she didn't need him to spell it out for her, particularly because he didn't honestly think he could explain it to her even if she asked him to. He had a hard enough time explaining it to himself. As his wife, she would belong to him, he the man of the house and the one in charge, but as an inu-youkai she was his person, and therefore _she _was the one in command, even though he still considered her his. His person. His to protect. She was his, and he was hers. Her protector, and soon enough, her husband. They belonged to _each other_, and he wouldn't have it any other way.

Returning to Kaede's, Inuyasha found Kagome sitting with the elderly miko, going over a few more herbs and what they were used for. Rin was with them, sitting quietly in her side of the room dressed in a different kimono while she worked on stitching up a few small tears in the yukata she normally wore. She had a couple other dresses but usually wore only the one whenever she was working outside in order to keep the other ones nice.

Having a seat near his fianceé while she finished up with her lessons, it only took a few minutes before Kagome said she was ready to go whenever he was. They'd just about been finished for the morning, anyway, Kaede needing to get to her daily rounds in the village to check on a couple of people whom she knew weren't feeling well. That was something Kagome would eventually need to start doing with her, but not today.

After slipping on her sandals, it was the younger miko this time who told her teacher not to worry about her and Inuyasha at lunchtime, saying they'd probably be eating with Sango and Miroku. With everyone wishing everyone else a temporary goodbye, then, Inuyasha and Kagome were out the door, and this time they made the decision to head right down the center of town, along the main road that led straight to the headman's compound. Everyone stopped what they were doing to watch as hanyou and miko passed them by, but it wasn't with disapproving faces, and the only whispered murmurs Inuyasha could hear consisted primarily of "Look! There goes Inuyasha-sama and Kagome-sama!" as everyone, surprised but also delighted by their presence, paused in their tasks in order to bow respectful greetings to the couple as they walked by.

Following Inuyasha's lead, Kagome nodded her head to the villagers in return, because even with as weird as it felt and as hard as she knew it was going to be to really get used to it, she was above them, status-wise, and therefore had to bow accordingly. If _Inuyasha _could get used to being treated like that, then she knew she could, too. She'd come from a time where such formalities had fallen by the wayside in more casual settings, but Inuyasha had spent the better part of his life being treated worse than eta class by most humans and like _prey _by most youkai, so he definitely won out over her in the 'unexpected adjustments to get used to' category. And now both of their lives were about to adjust _again_, but it was an adjustment they'd get used to, _together_, and one she was _definitely_ looking forward to.

Arriving at the headman's compound, it didn't take long for one of the workers to spot them and rush ahead of them to the main house, announcing their arrival. Kazue, Haruto's wife, greeted them warmly at the door, inviting them both to come inside as she asked a younger woman to put on some tea for them, and this time, Inuyasha didn't decline the proffered beverage. The trio made small pleasantries while they waited for a granddaughter to go summon Haruto in his office, and it didn't take long for the headman to come in, greeting the hanyou and miko as well. If it hadn't been for the previous night's dinner Kagome might've felt nervous, but she was perfectly relaxed around the headman's family by that point, and enjoyed watching the interaction between Inuyasha and Haruto as they talked. It was clear that while the elderly headman had great respect for the hanyou, he didn't keep him on _quite_ as high a pedestal as some of the lower ranking villagers did, and it was also equally clear to her that Inuyasha felt relieved for it, able to loosen up a bit more around the old man and speak more freely. Kagome could also tell that Inuyasha held a great deal of respect for Haruto in return, because while he didn't add the suffix 'sama' to his name, neither did he add the suffix 'jijii', referring to Haruto simply by name. The headman didn't seem to mind it.

Learning of Inuyasha's desire to marry Kagome and have a house for the two of them constructed, Haruto immediately proved Kaede's beliefs correct by warmly congratulating the couple, even after Kagome also explained her official position under Kaede as her apprentice. The headman was delighted to hear both bits of news, and in regard to their future house he told Inuyasha not to worry about a thing, that he'd send word immediately for a building party, assuring him he'd handle all of the costs himself. Inuyasha immediately tried to argue, of course, insisting that he had his own money to pay the itinerant carpenters, but Haruto would hear none of it.

"Save your money." he said, informing the hanyou, "You'll need it."

"He's got a point." Kagome agreed, pointing out that with the money they'd now saved on construction of the actual house they would be able to buy that much more stuff _for _the house. Inuyasha only had so much money Miroku had saved aside for him before it'd all be gone and he'd need to earn more, so the more things they could get for their house sooner rather than later, the better.

As Kazue refilled their teacups, Kagome began rattling off the various everyday things they'd need for the house, like storage jars, cooking pots and pans, knives, ladles, chopsticks, bowls and cups. Kazue quickly chimed in, adding baskets, lanterns, blankets and linens to the list, not to mention furnishings like cabinets and chests. Some things she said she was sure Inuyasha could barter among the local villagers for, but others would definitely need to be purchased from vendors at the market. As the women continued to discuss what all would need to be purchased from the market town Inuyasha's eyes opened comically wide in realization of the daunting, grueling task ahead of him, and he solemnly asked Haruto if they could borrow one of his worker's pull carts to take with them when the time came.

The headman's response was a hearty laugh as he joyously slapped the hanyou on the back and said, "Welcome to the life of a married man, my friend. Just you wait until baby things need to get added to that list."

Inuyasha turned bright red while Kazue and Kagome hid their smiles and knowing glances.

After tea, when Haruto asked Inuyasha what they had in mind in terms of a wedding, he and Kagome shared a look, each having somewhat unpleasant flashbacks to the craziness that had arisen during the festivities two nights ago, and after Kagome's knowing smile and nod, Inuyasha turned back to the headman and told him that they didn't really want to have any kind of a ceremony at all and that he'd rather they were simply declared married now to be done with it, just like Sango and Miroku had done three years prior. Nodding his deeper understanding and agreement, Haruto asked the pair to accompany him into his office, and they readily complied. There, Haruto found the proper village census, on which he had already made the necessary additions to catalog Kagome's auspicious return to them. It was a simple matter to declare in the formal log that Kagome and Inuyasha were wed on that date.

After that was taken care of, hanyou and miko taking a few silent moments to stare affectionately at one another despite their audience, Haruto then breached the subject of where they had been planning on living, in regard to the location of their future home. Kagome shrugged, and sent Inuyasha another look, silently asking him if he had any particular location in mind. He thought it over for a moment, quickly nixing his original, fanciful idea of the villagers wanting to build Kagome a small hut of her own next to Kaede's. That had been back when he hadn't known how long it would take the two of them to explore their feelings for one another, when he'd thought that Kagome was going to be considered a part of Kaede's family, therefore causing the elderly miko's property to expand in the event of Kagome wanting her own place. But Kaede had said that Kagome had no family, that _he _was her family, and if the two of them were both strangers to the village, who had both come to them from the forest...

_His_ forest...

All things happened for a reason, right?

"I think in the forest would be best, don't ya think?" he spoke up then, asking both Kagome and Haruto their opinions. "I don't own no land within the village, and don't wanna be given any, neither. The forest is already mine, and everyone knows it. It's where I've been livin' for the last fifty four years, if you count my imprisonment. Our house should be within 'Inuyasha no Mori', near the Goshinboku and Bone-Eater's Well."

Kagome only smiled and nodded, as if that's what she'd wanted all along but had only wanted Inuyasha to reach the same conclusion on his own, without her persuasion. Haruto also had no objections and agreed that it made the most sense. Inuyasha then said that he and Kagome would look the area over and decide on the final location, and that he could take care of clearing away any trees that needed to be removed before the workers could begin packing the earth. They'd need the lumber anyway, so it'd be killing two birds with one stone.

With that taken care of, hanyou and miko excused themselves, wanting to get to their friends' house before lunchtime. Haruto bade them a pleasant farewell for the time being as he walked with them to the door, telling them both that they were welcome in his home any time they wished. Bowing their goodbyes, the newly married couple were then on their way, exiting the headman's compound and heading north back up the village's main, central street, towards the westbound cutoff that led to Sango and Miroku's house.


	13. All You Need Is Love

Chapter 13 – All You Need Is Love

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"Wonder how long it's going to take for word to spread that we're married now." Inuyasha murmured quietly as they walked, none of the villagers within earshot.

"We could tell Yumiko-chan." Kagome joked. "Then everyone would know by morning."

Inuyasha snorted a laugh.

Nodding their heads in return to the few more bows they received from passersby along their way, it didn't take hanyou and miko long to reach the monk and slayer's house. The squealing laughter of happy toddlers at play was the first thing Inuyasha heard as they neared the property, and rather than finding the sound annoying, his eyes softened. He loved those little girls.

Raising his hand to knock on the doorframe he never got the chance, never made a sound, pausing with his hand raised as both he and Kagome clearly heard the toddlers within the house both stop what they were doing and shout "Doggy!" in unison.

Kagome chuckled.

"They've definitely got their father's spiritual powers." she commented proudly.

The hanging door mat moved aside, revealing Sango's smiling face, giggling two-year-olds peaking out from behind her legs on either side.

"Knock knock." Kagome said then, in way of greeting.

"Come in, come in..." Sango answered as she turned and went back in to pick up the suddenly fussing Ichirou, whom she then immediately handed to Kagome as the miko slipped off her sandals and stepped up onto the raised wooden floor.

"Can you take him?" she asked after Kagome was already holding the baby, and then without waiting for an answer Sango turned and scurried back over to the pot of rice she was currently cooking.

Inuyasha laughed at the scene.

"Sorry, did we catch ya at a bad time?"

Sango looked up from her cooking and quirked a brow.

"I'd figured it was the smell of food that drew you here."

The hanyou laughed again, and then Kagome, while smiling down at the little bundle she held – who'd quieted immediately in the miko's arms – said "Nope, we came to share the great news."

Sango looked up from her rice at that, and gave the pair a knowing smile.

"All went well with Haruto-sama, then?"

"As well as it went with you and the bouzu." Inuyasha answered.

"What about Sango and I?" asked Miroku as he entered the hut behind Inuyasha and Kagome just in time to hear the hanyou's statement.

"Impeccable timing..." the taijiya commented over her rice. "I swear, your stomach is more predictable than the stars."

Kagome chuckled at the quip as she had a seat beside Sango, little Ichirou still in her arms, but Miroku didn't have time to react to his wife's comment, his daughters immediately demanding his attention.

"Otou!" Misaki squealed in delight, raising her arms in the universal gesture for 'pick me up'.

"Otou, Doggy here!" Mizuki stated next, pointing frantically at Inuyasha as if her father hadn't previously noticed the half inu man standing two feet away from him.

"Yes, I can see that." Miroku answered, humoring the elder twin.

Leaning his shakujo against the wall, he then slipped off his sandals and stepped up onto the raised wooden floor, picking the still waiting younger twin up before having a seat beside his wife on Sango's other side.

Inuyasha followed suit, stepping up onto the raised wooden floor as well to have a seat next to his own wife while Miroku complemented the smell of Sango's cooking.

His wife...

He had a wife.

He grinned.

"I said it went as well for us with the headman as it did for you two." he explained then, grinning and nodding when Miroku looked his way with a curious eye.

"Well!" Miroku stated happily then, "Congratulations are indeed in order!"

With Kagome and Inuyasha officially invited to stay for lunch, not that either of them actually _needed _an invitation, Sango insisted, exclaiming that the two of them were of _course _welcome at any time, the foursome held off on starting the conversation everyone was eager to have as they sensed little Shippou's approach, knowing the kitsune would feel left out if they didn't wait for him. The fox child had felt it when Kagome and Inuyasha had exited the headman's compound and had excused himself from his friends as quickly as he could. He entered the monk and slayer's house less than a minute later, just as Sango was moving the finished rice away from the fire.

"Tease away, squirt." Inuyasha said casually in way of greeting, in far too good a mood at the moment to get upset at anything the kitsune could possibly say. "I'm the luckiest baka in the world, and even after the kami gave me a second chance I might not even deserve, I almost screwed _that _up with my baka-ness, but for some odd reason, Kagome's _still_ willing to put up with me."

"For the rest of my life." the miko added, not bothering to cover her mouth as she smiled, the expression more genuinely happy rather than amused.

"Does this mean what I _think _it means?" Shippou asked, his expression and tone of voice both genuinely happy as well and not teasing in the slightest, as he met Kagome's eyes rather than Inuyasha's to seek final verification.

She nodded.

"It means you are looking at the wife of our inu-youkai protector, Shippou, so you had better not expect her to shield you from him should you push Inuyasha's patience too far." Miroku stated with feigned seriousness. "Kagome-sama will have to defer to her husband now."

In reality, Miroku's words were meant to tease not only Shippou, but Inuyasha, as well. He didn't believe for a second that their feisty little future-born miko was suddenly going to become a quiet, obedient wife. Not any more than Sango had. He mentally chuckled at the absurd thought. Sango was anything _but _quiet and obedient, and he wouldn't have her any other way. Her differences from the customary norm were what had made him fall so deeply in love with her in the first place.

Deciding to play along, and tease Kagome as well in the process, Inuyasha chimed in with, "Yeah, runt, so you'd better not piss me off, or I'll kick ya 'round as much as I want and ain't nobody gonna stop me."

_Three can play at this game_ ... Kagome thought, smirking.

"Oh, yeah?" she asked, in _that _tone of voice. "Osuwa-!" she shouted, stopping herself before completing the word.

Inuyasha instinctively flinched, genuinely startled, which caused Kagome, Shippou, and Sango to snicker quietly in amusement, while Miroku laughed a bit more heartily.

Inuyasha turned and glared at his wife, but there was no real fire in his eyes.

"Not funny, wench."

He definitely wasn't pissed. Embarrassed, maybe, but not pissed.

"I thought it was." she answered nonchalantly, which earned a chuckle from the hanyou himself that time.

"Whatever..." he dismissed, before turning back to the kitsune. "But yeah, Shippou, it's official, we're married now."

The kit beamed at him.

"Don't worry, Inuyasha, I'll give you two plenty of _alone _time together. I know I like to pick on you, but I'd never be _that _mean...to Kagome."

The miko laughed despite the heat she could feel rushing to her cheeks, Inuyasha's own deep blush at Shippou's words making her feel more amused than embarrassed, herself. Three years ago she would have admonished the boy for saying such things, but despite his appearance Kagome knew Shippou was actually a lot older than he looked, and even though his appearance wasn't really an illusion because he _was _still just a child, by youkai standards, there was simply no way a young kitsune boy was going to remain ignorant to the ways of mature adults. Especially when she considered the fact that some of the lessons he was learning in his version of school probably included how to transform into a beautiful woman to seduce unsuspecting men. It was the oldest kitsune trick in the book, and one Miroku had been all too happy to help the other foxes perfect during their impromptu stay at the Kitsune Inn that one time.

With everyone settling back down after their moment of fun, Sango was ready to serve up lunch, and after helping the nervous Kagome to carefully tuck the drowsy Ichirou back into his basket cradle, pretty soon the only sounds that could be heard were those of eating. At least until the twins suddenly decided their chopsticks made better toy daggers than eating utensils and Sango had to say a few words to get them to behave and eat properly again. Kagome and Inuyasha only chuckled at the scene.

Once lunch was finished, hanyou and miko stayed with their friends for a while longer, Kagome chatting with Sango amiably while the slayer gave Ichirou his own lunch. Kagome was fascinated by the act of breast feeding, and asked Sango what it felt like, earning a grumble from her husband to stop discussing 'girlie' things in his presence, which earned him Kagome sticking her tongue out at him in reply, although they did change the subject. Inuyasha, shaking his head at his wife's antics, started going over the list of things he wanted to get at the market the following day with Miroku, asking the houshi to give him from his stash the amount of money he figured he'd better bring with them. He asked for more money than he honestly thought he needed, having a fairly good grasp of what most things cost from his numerous trips to the market with Miroku, but this would be his first time going to there with Kagome, who was now his _wife_, and if she just happened to see something, _anything_, that she ended up wanting, he wanted to be able to buy it for her.

He told her as much when she raised an eyebrow at the amount of money Miroku counted out into the pouch he then handed over. She figured a nice quiver might be a bit expensive, but it couldn't be _that _expensive.

"It's not like I'm going to want some fancy necklace or hair comb." she insisted, flattered but wanting to reassure her new husband that material things weren't really that important to her.

He merely shrugged, and she rolled her eyes.

"Well, I suppose there _are _some things I'd like to get tomorrow besides a new quiver, so long as you're offering." she stated then, asking Miroku if she could have a slip of paper to write down a short list.

Instead of wasting any of the monk's ink for such a trivial thing she asked her new husband to please grab her a charred stick from the firepit with those fireproof hands of his, and he immediately complied, finding her a good one that was about the same size as the pencils he remembered from the future. Kagome used it as such, writing a brief charcoal list of only a few essentials.

Inuyasha observed as she listed only simple, practical things. Some good feathers for fletching, since she'd need to get started on making up some arrows right away.

_Makes sense_... he thought.

A fire steel and a couple of flint stones.

_Makes even more sense_... He nodded his approval.

Some sewing supplies, like needles, a thimble, thread and thread wax, a pair of scissors, plus a good length of some plain, inexpensive fabric, so that she could have something to practice with before cutting into the nicer fabric she'd been given.

"Keh, done." he said with a nod, not even hesitating a moment because he knew he had plenty of money to cover the cost of such things.

Sniffing the air, Inuyasha shifted his gaze Sango's way, the taijiya having just laid little Ichirou down after his feeding.

"Yo, Sango, kid needs changin'."

"Already?" she asked, with an almost whimsical sigh to her voice, as if she were used to that routine, which Kagome imagined she probably was.

Picking Ichirou back up, Sango didn't even bother to give her son an experimental sniff herself, trusting the hanyou's nose. Moving over to the cabinet that held his clean diapers, Sango proceeded to undress and change Ichirou. As soon as she got him undone, she made an exaggerated sound and turned to glance Inuyasha's way over her shoulder. "You weren't kidding!" she joked as she got to work.

Inuyasha and Miroku both chuckled, while Kagome cocked her head to the side and gave her husband a curious glance.

"What?" he asked, his tone of voice still mirthful.

"I'm just surprised you aren't bothered by the smell is all." she said. "With your nose, I'd think a stinky diaper would be more than you could handle."

Inuyasha gave her a funny look at that, and then chuckled again, shaking his head some in amusement.

"Not like it's a weird man-made smell, like ink or dye. I'm half _dog_, remember? Why would the smell of poop bother me?"

Even Kagome had to laugh at that one.

"Good point," she said with a giggle, "I guess I never thought about it that way."

Inuyasha opened his mouth to say more, but it was in that moment that his ears suddenly turned to face the door, before flattening against his head, a mildly irritated expression appearing on his face.

"What is it?" Kagome asked, but before he could answer there was a light rapping on the doorframe.

"Neighbors." he grumbled quietly then, as Miroku got up to answer the door while Sango sent the hanyou a sheepish, apologetic look.

"Houshi-sama, please forgive our intrusion..."

The neighbors gushed their greetings as Miroku bid them entry, bowing to both he and Sango, and then, remaining in the beaten earth entryway, they bowed humbly in the bemused hanyou and miko's direction.

"Oh, Inuyasha-sama, Kagome-sama, we heard the fabulous news and wanted to congratulate you both on your union right away!" the woman stated, her husband adding, "And rest assured, my lord, the men will be gathered quickly to begin work on your house. We can start as early as tomorrow morning, should you wish it." They both bowed deeply a second time.

Kagome could hear Inuyasha's quiet sigh, only because she was sitting so close to him, and then almost as if he'd slipped a mask in place, he rose regally to his feet before nodding his head back at both of them.

"Tomorrow is Market Day, and as I'm sure many of you already had your own plans, as do we, there is no need to trouble yourselves over our house first thing tomorrow morning. It can wait another day. We still have to survey the land. I will tell Haruto to gather the workers once Kagome and I have selected the precise location where we wish it to be built."

Nodding their understanding and bowing again, Sango and Miroku's neighbors then quickly excused themselves, practically scurrying out of the hut. Kagome waited a few seconds before speaking, until she was certain they were out of earshot.

"Wow...you're good at that." she said then, as he plopped back down on the floor beside her.

"Feh." he grumbled, although he offered her a half-smile as he glanced her way. "I've had some practice putting on appearances. Had a great mentor."

He gestured with a wave in Miroku's direction, and the monk pretended to look offended at the accusation.

"I am certain I do not know what you mean." he said.

"And I'm certain you do." Sango chimed in, sending her husband a knowing look of her own as she put the changed and redressed Ichirou back to bed.

Inuyasha, Kagome and Shippou all laughed.

With it being about time to excuse themselves, the twins looking like they could use a nap and little Ichirou already asleep, hanyou and miko bid their friends a good rest of their day in that moment, promising that they'd be by first thing in the morning to collect Miroku so that the trio could walk to the market together.

Heading back to Kaede's house, finally, the future-born miko shared the good news about her and Inuyasha's marriage with Kaede and Rin, and they both congratulated the pair as well, even though they'd both already known that morning what the purpose of their visit to the headman's house had been. That, and to begin the process of procuring a home for themselves. Kaede also agreed that in the forest near the well and Goshinboku was the most ideal location for their house, once she heard it, even going so far as to suggest that this would be the first of many steps that would ultimately lead to that location becoming the spot for Kagome's family's home and shrine five hundred years into the future.

Kagome immediately agreed, of course, stating how it stood to reason that eventually, when the time came, a shrine being built in that location to honor the presence of her and Inuyasha made perfect sense. Said hanyou didn't really want to think about a future time when all that might be left of his wife was a shrine built by the villagers in her honor, though, and so he quickly changed the subject, asking Kaede if there was anything she wanted them to pick up for her in the morning.

"I thank you for the kind offer, but please do not bother yourselves." she answered, appreciative but waving off his concern all the same. "Hideaki's son already has my list for the usual things. In fact, if you leave at dawn's first light you may come upon him on the road."

"Unlikely." Inuyasha answered. "We gotta go get the bouzu first, and Sango'll insist he's had somethin' to eat before we hit the road. Plus Kagome also needs a good breakfast. A bit of a later start won't hurt nothin'. Least it ain't hot yet, so's not like we'll be marching in the blazing sun."

"Did plenty of that during the quest." Kagome reflected. "Not fun."

Kaede nodded her understanding, as she went through her various containers of herbs, preparing to make a medicine she really did need for somebody in the village that time. It wasn't another ruse to give Inuyasha and Kagome an excuse to leave together again, and in fact the herbs would not be offensive to his nose, she assured him, as she caught him eyeing her preparing the ingredients.

"Can I do it, Kaede-baa-chan?" Kagome asked then, eager to learn all that she could.

Glancing Inuyasha's way nervously after she spoke, worried he might've had other plans, he gave his new wife a reassuring smile that silently told her to go ahead and let Kaede show her how to make that medicine. Kagome grinned his way in reply, her eyes thankful, and she then proceeded to listen to everything Kaede had to tell her.

Inuyasha observed as Kaede prattled on about what purposes the various herbs used in that medicine had and how much was needed, his own smile never wavering. He was still living off the glow from the previous evening's activities, so he didn't need to greedily keep Kagome all to himself for a second evening in a row. Besides, he wasn't 100% sure he trusted himself to be _that _alone with her again, at least until their house was built. The fact that she _was _his wife now, and he could rightfully...well, his right or not she still deserved better than to be taken out in the forest like an animal. He _was _an animal, or half, at least, and that was bad enough. He was _still _worried how she would react, although he was trying to take her confident reassurances to heart, that his youkai half didn't bother her in the slightest, even when it came to matters of the bedroom. He hoped that was true, since there was nothing he could do about that part if it wasn't, but he _could _at least promise her a roof and a bed for those activities, instead of throwing his inhumanity in her face by using the wild forest as their bedroom. It was the least he could do. Just because he was half dog didn't mean he had to rut her in the dirt like the dog he was. In this, he would focus on his human half, and resist his youkai instincts. He could survive off the high of simply knowing that she _was _his wife until their house was finally built, and hopefully by that time he'd have finally gotten over the rest of his insecurities as well. It was probably something the two of them needed to discuss openly, he realized, but not right away. He'd have to muscle up the courage for that too, first.

Of course, if Kagome had any say in the matter, she'd get him to realize that she did _not _require a roof, or a bed. All she needed was Inuyasha. In that moment the future-born miko was doing her best to actually pay attention to Kaede's lesson, though, unaware of the true severity of her new husband's inner turmoil. She _wanted _to learn herbs, after all, and she was doing her best to commit her sensei's words to memory. But it had not escaped her comprehension that Inuyasha and she were husband and wife, now, and _all _that that entailed.

She of course would never dream of actually _doing _anything with Kaede and Rin in the same room; she wasn't _that _much of a harlot. In her mind, that was what the privacy of the forest was for. So that was something she'd have to work on with her husband. In the meantime, though, when it came to their actual sleeping arrangements at night, Kagome had been telling the truth before when she'd told Inuyasha that she was certain Kaede would not mind it if they simply lied next to one another, and if he was too embarrassed to have witnesses then she was also sure they could use the changing screen to partition off a private corner of the room for themselves, to preserve modesty. He'd chickened out the night before, so she suspected Kaede and Rin baring witness was a good part of it. He no longer had the added excuse of them not technically being married yet. If he thought he was _still_ going to sleep upright against that blasted wall of his, he had another think coming! Still, Kagome knew she _should _rightfully ask Kaede her permission, first, since it _was_ the elderly miko's home and she did not want to risk possibly offending her new sensei. She didn't honestly think it _would _offend Kaede, or she wouldn't even bring it up and leave Inuyasha to his wall, figuring better safe than sorry, but she knew Kaede well enough by that point to know what she could and couldn't ask the elderly miko without pushing boundaries.

She also knew what she could and couldn't ask in front of Inuyasha without it embarrassing her poor hanyou to high heavens, and asking Kaede with him sitting right there if it was all right with her if they snuggled would be too much for the inu-hanyou, she was sure. She'd be lucky if he didn't end up spending the night up on Kaede's roof. But Kagome had the perfect solution for that little hiccup, and would implement her plan at the appropriate opportunity, after her current lesson on herbal medicine had come to a close.

That opportunity came not too much later, as Kaede packaged up the finished product and asked Rin to please go deliver it for her. The eleven-year-old, once again dressed in her usual yukata, immediately complied to Kaede's wishes, putting down her new sewing project to run her errand for her. She was happy to help, knowing the elderly miko couldn't move as fast as her and that this was only a quick delivery of the medicine the people were already expecting and already knew how to use. It would only take her a few minutes. Promising she'd be right back as she grabbed the jar of medicine, she dashed out the door.

Kaede put a pot of water on to boil, then, while asking Kagome if she wouldn't mind washing the rice for her. Smiling sincerely, grateful to help in any way she could, Kagome immediately began washing the rice, and then turned to glance Inuyasha's way while in the middle of her task, putting her plan into motion.

"Inuyasha?" she began, immediately earning his attention.

"Hmm?" he asked from his place against the wall, watching her work with a lazy, stupid grin.

She grinned as well at the sight, realizing he was probably even happier about their marriage than she was, which she hadn't previously thought would be possible, but considering the life she'd had growing up versus the life _he'd _had, she couldn't blame him. Had she never been able to return to the past, she could have theoretically gotten over him and fallen in love with another man, she knew. _Theoretically_, at least, even though it would have never _actually_ happened. But for Inuyasha, if it weren't for her return, he'd have had _nobody;_ no potential love interests whatsoever, theoretical or otherwise. It wasn't fair, and it wasn't right, but she understood it was the truth. She'd spent her days as a little girl daydreaming about having a fancy wedding, about what kind of man she was going to marry, but Inuyasha, he'd spent his days as a little boy being told he was a worthless abomination by everyone but his mother, with nobody even willing to be his _friend_, let alone a potential girlfriend, and by the time he'd reached potential girlfriend age he'd been too busy trying to stay alive in the wild forests to worry about something as unrealistic, in his mind, as one day having a love to call his own.

While she'd given up her once-dream of a fanciful wedding ceremony, she didn't honestly care, having married the love of her life, and she couldn't be happier, but knowing that _he _had also married the love of _his _life, and that he was still trying to wrap his head around the fact that the woman he loved even loved him in return, Kagome found herself feeling even more happy for her husband than she was for herself. She had literally made his dreams come true by returning to him, and he'd already told her to her face that he'd do his best to give her whatever she wanted, whatever she asked of him. It was a little cruel to take advantage of that to send him out of the house in that moment, but ultimately it was for his own good, anyway, and besides, she wasn't lying.

"Would you mind seeing if you could catch a rabbit to add to tonight's dinner, if it wouldn't be too much trouble? I think I'm kind of craving a hearty meat dish again after all that delicious deer two night's back."

He was on his feet in an instant, the look in his eyes determined, and not the least bit put out. She'd struck a nerve with his inu-youkai side; his mate was asking for meat and he _would _provide it for her.

And she actually really _did _want it; she hoped his hunt would be successful.

"I won't be long." was all he said, and grabbing Tessaiga, he was out the door.

"Well, then I better make this fast." Kagome mumbled to herself, sending an amused glance Kaede's way when the elderly miko raised an eyebrow at Kagome at her words.

"Something you wished to say in private?" the older miko inquired.

Kagome didn't hesitate to launch into her request, promising Kaede that she had no intention of scandalizing her and Rin with 'marital activities' from behind the screen, but that she wanted only to be able to sleep lying beside her husband, for Inuyasha to feel comfortable enough to hold her in his arms as he'd already told her he longed to do.

Kaede, as predicted, waved off Kagome's concern, assuring the younger miko that of _course _it was all right for her to share a private corner with her husband for such purposes, stating that Miroku and Sango had also done the same during the time it'd taken for their own house to be constructed. Kagome relaxed at Kaede's reassurances, smiling appreciatively. She'd known of course that Miroku and Sango had stayed with her until their house was finished, but the little detail of whether or not they'd all still slept in the one big open room like during the quest days, or if Miroku and Sango had used the screen for some semblance of privacy, had never come up. Kagome alsoknew that those two had also engaged in 'marital activities' prior to the completion of their house, having learned that bit of information during her lunch with them the day of the feast, when Inuyasha had been out hunting down that deer. Miroku had quite shamelessly boasted how he hadn't been able to wait even one more day on marrying Sango after the battle was won, hence why they'd gone to the headman right away to record it, just like she and Inuyasha had done that morning, and since they'd obviously not yet had a house to call their own, either, Miroku had said that he and Sango had taken off for the market village straight afterwards, even though it wasn't Market Day, because that village, much more a town than their own humble village, possessed a proper inn.

At that time, Kagome still hadn't known where she and Inuyasha stood, not having yet had their chance to sort everything out. In fact it'd been before their misunderstanding in the first place. Then as soon as Inuyasha'd come back, getting his wrong ideas from her wearing the miko robes, it'd been non-stop public relations until their night at Haruto's house had come to a close. The next day, once they'd finally gotten everything out in the open and had had their lovely evening together, bringing up the fact that they could go to the inn when Inuyasha had mentioned that she deserved better than the forest honestly hadn't crossed her mind.

Thinking about it in that moment, though, as she put the cleaned rice on to cook, Kagome knew it was much too late to head to the market village now, and besides, tomorrow was Market Day and so they'd be there, anyway. Maybe, if she played her cards right, Miroku would be making the walk back home alone. On the other hand, if a room would cost too much money she wouldn't worry about it, and Inuyasha might also feel weird about it, knowing how most villages _other _than their own tended to look at him. She didn't have his ears, but she wasn't _deaf_, and there had been plenty of times throughout the shard hunt where she'd heard the various whispers, people wondering why 'those people' – meaning her, Sango and Miroku – were traveling with 'that creature' – meaning Inuyasha. She'd been on the receiving end of some nasty whispers a few times, too. Even though she'd been a stubborn thing back then, and had insisted on wearing her school uniform for the principle of the thing, because she wasn't going to let other people tell her what she could or couldn't wear, she wasn't _stupid_, and she'd known how a skirt that short was viewed by most people in the century she now called home. Realizing in that moment that getting a room at the inn could either be an awesome idea, or a horrible one, she wouldn't try to be slick about it. She'd ask Inuyasha outright if he wanted to. It was the best way to know his thoughts on the matter, after all. Might be a little more brazen than he was expecting, but she was almost nineteen years old, and she was his _wife;_ she had a right to be brazen, and more importantly than that, saying things outright would prevent any future misunderstandings. They'd had enough of _those _to last them a lifetime.

It was that mind-set that gave her the confidence to stick to her guns later that night, after dinner was through. Inuyasha had successfully caught a rabbit, of course, returning with it already skinned and gutted, and while Kaede'd tended to the vegetables Kagome had chopped up the rabbit meat, cooking it in a separate pan. Kaede had politely declined having any of the rabbit meat for herself, but when Rin had asked if she could have some Inuyasha had given Kagome a curt nod at her questioning glance. There had been plenty to spare; it'd been a fairly large rabbit.

Dinner was delicious, and now, with Kaede and Rin already ready for bed and settling into their places by the firepit, Inuyasha sitting up against the wall as per usual, Kagome knew it was time to act. First, she ducked behind the changing screen while leaving the screen in its customary location, stripping out of her yukata and into her pajamas. Then, she went over to the other corner that housed the storage chest that had been dedicated to hold her things, and retrieved her sleeping bag. So far, it was the same routine. She changed that routine up, however, by laying her sleeping bag down much closer to the storage chest than she'd done before, having previously brought her bag further out into the center of the room, closer to the fire, like the others.

Inuyasha, bless his heart, walked right into giving her the perfect setup in that moment, when he murmured quietly, "Why so far from the fire? I don't want you getting cold."

She turned her head to look right at him, and smirked, the opportunity _way _too good to pass up.

"Well then you're just going to have to keep me warm." she answered, making sure to keep her words a very quiet whisper so that he wouldn't feel the added embarrassment from fearing that either Kaede or Rin had overheard her.

She then proceeded to grab the screen from its corner and bring it over to where she was, setting it up between herself and the fire, which also meant, of course, that she was now completely cut off from the two people lying down on the _other _side of the fire. From his place against the side wall Inuyasha could still partly see behind the screen, seeing part of her movement as she settled herself down into her sleeping bag, but it was obvious to him that she hadn't been intending to block even half of his view of her. No, it was _beyond _obvious to him what she had actually just done. He felt his cheeks flaming at the thought, but that didn't stop him from slowly, _very _slowly, getting up and heading over in her direction.

Setting Tessaiga down by her bow, he knelt down next to her as she propped herself up on an elbow to look at him in the darkness, their private little corner by the storage chest in shadow thanks to the screen blocking the direct light from the fire.

"We are married now, aren't we?" he asked with an edge of wonder in his voice, as if realizing himself that he was out of excuses for staying against the wall. The look in his eyes told her he was glad to be out of excuses.

"Yes, we are." she answered, her tone loving and reassuring, and not seductive in the slightest. "We're not alone, so I know we need to keep our clothes on, but all I need to make my wedding night a dream come true is to spend it in your arms."

He didn't reply verbally, but something in his eyes changed at her words, his gaze smoldering, almost burning right through her. It was a look not of sexual desire, but of desire as a whole, in its truest form. He remained silent as he reached for the edge of her sleeping bag, and scooting back to give him room, Kagome welcomed her husband with open arms as Inuyasha wordlessly joined her within the polyester cocoon. He whispered quietly then for her to turn around, and she immediately did so, and he didn't hesitate to tuck himself fully against her, pulling her in close as he spooned her from behind, burying his nose in her hair and inhaling deeply. It occurred to him vaguely in the back of his mind that his sense of smell was pretty much out of commission all of a sudden, since all he could focus on was her. His ears, too, seemed to home in exclusively on the sound of her breathing, the rhythm of her heartbeat. It was potentially dangerous to sleep like this, he realized in that moment, since he was pretty much useless when it came to sensing any approaching threats, but he also knew that Kagome's unlocked spiritual powers could sense an encroaching demonic aura from miles away, and the realization that he was relying on his wife for protection in his distracted state didn't bother him in the slightest. He was _proud _of Kagome and her spiritual powers, and he trusted her with his life. It'd taken him a while to admit it, even to himself, but he'd entrusted her with not only his life, but also his heart, long before the defeat of Naraku. Now, on that night, in that moment, he had Kagome in his arms, his wife, his mate, and nothing else mattered. And although they hadn't _actually _mated yet he knew that too would come soon enough, as soon as their house was finished. He'd waited this long for her; he could wait another month or so until constructed was completed. It wasn't that big of a deal.

In the meantime, though, he was never sleeping sitting up against that wall ever again.


	14. Market Day

Chapter 14 – Market Day

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The next morning, Kagome woke bright and early, or rather, _dark _and early since the sun hadn't risen yet, to the feel of Inuyasha's body still wrapped possessively around her own, and she sighed happily, content to lie like that forever.

She wasn't detoured even when she noticed his morning excitement pressing against her bottom, feeling flattered by his reaction to their proximity rather than embarrassed. She wiggled against him a little bit, deliberately teasing him, and she giggled quietly when he growled softly before tightening his grip on her.

"Woman, knock that off, we ain't alone." he grumbled low, barely a whisper, but she heard him loud and clear since his lips were just a couple inches from her ear, his breath making goosebumps rise on the back of her neck.

"I guess now I know why you never held me like this before." she teased quietly, making sure to keep her voice down since Kaede and Rin were both still asleep.

He chuckled quietly.

"You don't know the half of it. During the quest I took more cold baths in one month than I had before in a full year."

She giggled again.

"I think you're exaggerating a _little _bit, but thanks."

To her ultimate surprise, he growled softly again, and tilted his head up a bit so that his lips were just a hair's breath away from touching the shell of her ear.

"You're right, I hate cold baths. Most of the time, I just took matters into my own hands."

Kagome felt more tingles at his words, and that time, they weren't isolated to the back of her neck. Smelling the change in her, Inuyasha smirked, kissed the side of her neck briefly, and then extracted himself from the sleeping bag before he did something he'd regret.

"Speaking of, I'm going to the river. I'll be back in time for breakfast, and I'll bring some fish so you can have a good meal for the long walk ahead."

"Can I...can I come with you to the river?" Kagome asked shyly as she turned over to look his way, knowing exactly why he was going.

He hesitated, looking torn. A part of him, she could tell, actually liked the idea of her going with him. She knew which part of him that was, too. But he also seemed to look nervous, almost afraid even, and eventually, be it that fear or his sense of morals, something won out over the raw desire of his hormones, as he told her only that it wouldn't be a good idea, and then before she could protest he was gone. She sighed, wondering exactly how this was fair to _her_, even though she knew he _meant _well. Slipping out of her sleeping bag, herself, Kagome headed for the latrine to 'relieve' herself before Kaede and Rin woke up.

Inuyasha returned in time for breakfast preparation, and as promised, he had a couple of freshly caught fish in his possession. If he could tell by her scent what Kagome had done that morning he didn't show it, almost definitely because they weren't alone, she assumed. Besides, if he _had _dared to make a comment, teasing or otherwise, then his little trip to the river would have been fair game for her to make mention of in return. It didn't take _that _long to catch a couple of fish. Maybe the next time he went 'fishing' she should just follow him even if he told her not to. He _had _already admitted to it being one of his fantasies, after all. What was so wrong with a wife wanting to make one of her husband's fantasies came true? In that moment she forced herself to change the subject in her head, though, before she got herself all worked up again with no way to deal with it, knowing they needed to eat and hit the road. Today was Market Day, so she needed to focus on what needed to be done _today_. Of course, part of what needed to happen today consisted of maybe getting a room with her husband at the inn, and if so that'd be great, but if not she wouldn't worry about it. There would be other opportunities. She would _make _other opportunities.

Breakfast was uneventful, and filling. The fresh fish had actually been a good idea.

Getting her trusted old yellow backpack out of the storage chest, placing its various unneeded contents loose into the chest for the time being, Kagome was just about ready to get going when Inuyasha surprised her by asking her to change out of her yukata and into her miko robes instead.

"You sure?" she asked, honestly surprised. "Even though I _am _a miko, I'm your wife first," she pointed out, "and as a general practice I wasn't planning on wearing the robes except when I'm actually on duty."

"Keh," he replied, "you _should _be on duty as a miko for this run. It'll probably go smoother at the market if the peddlers see you more as a traveling miko than my wife. I'm actually glad Miroku's going to be with us. They're used to seeing me 'n' Miroku there together, and this way, it'll look like you're just somebody else who came along with us."

His words didn't hurt Kagome directly, although they did upset her, but only from the point of view of being irritated with how closed-minded the rest of the world was. He wasn't being insensitive, and she understood that. Hell, he was being_ sensitive_, wanting to spare her from a potentially bad situation.

"Thank the kami we don't have to put up appearances around the villagers here." she said. "I mean in a different way we do, since it's 'Kagome-sama' this and 'Miko-sama' that, and _that's _a little weird, but it's a _good_ kind of weird."

"Yeah..." he agreed right away. "I'll take 'Inuyasha-sama' over 'filthy half-breed' any time."

Kaede remained silent, letting the couple have their conversation as she quietly washed the dishes from breakfast, but in her head she found herself feeling extremely happy for those two, indeed, that the villagers here had come to recognize the hanyou and future-born miko for the kami-sends they truly were.

"Okay, well let me change real quick then." Kagome said then, as she ducked behind the changing screen, which she'd moved back into its proper corner that morning while Inuyasha had still been out.

As she reemerged dressed in her miko robes, Kagome did have to admit that the ensemble allowed for better freedom of movement, and would probably be more comfortable for traveling. Inuyasha in turn told her that whenever they traveled away from the village, for whatever reason, he always wanted her in miko garb, so that any possible passersby they came across along the way would know that she was a miko. He apologized again, briefly, for his original misunderstanding, and proceeded to thank Kaede for wanting Kagome to train under her because now that the whole business of whether or not they could be together while she was a miko was resolved he was actually _glad _that she was recognized officially as a village miko. While he didn't know how well it'd go over with some people to learn that a miko was married to a hanyou, being a miko in and of itself, and wearing the miko robes, at least allowed Kagome to have another reason to be traveling with him. At first glance, most people would probably just assume that he was her servant in some fashion or another, the same as how some people viewed he and Miroku when they did their extermination jobs. If on the other hand she were dressed like a house wife...he'd rather she never had to find out what other people besides their home villagers thought of the women who chose youkai partners.

"I can imagine," she said, "and while it doesn't please me, it's certainly not going to discourage me. My place is with you. Even if the villagers _here _didn't approve I wouldn't have let that stop me. Even if they chased us out with torches and pitchforks, I'd run away with you."

He snorted an amused chuckle at her visual.

"Haven't been chased by a true mob in a good while. Usually just had people throw rocks at me and spit in my direction while calling me names."

She stepped forward, and grabbed his hand.

"Do you want me to pretend we're not married?" she asked, the look in her eyes clearly revealing that she didn't like the idea, not one bit, but that she would go along with it if it was what he truly wanted.

He sighed, and appeared to think it over, before finally coming to a conclusion. He gave her hand a little squeeze before releasing, his lips quirking up in a crooked grin.

"Hell, they're gonna find out eventually, once we're buying all the stuff for our house." he said. "Don't lie, but just don't go out of your way to show it. Let them draw their own conclusions, and then hopefully, with the robes, fewer people will realize the truth. A yukata is just asking for trouble."

Kagome nodded her understanding and agreement to that. Things were different in that century, anyway, and so it wasn't like she could have ordinarily been holding his hand while they shopped, like two happy people in love in the 21st century might do. In the Sengoku jidai, even something as simple as holding hands in public was _very _improper, scandalous even. And kissing in public? That was downright pornographic. So it wasn't really like she'd been planning on oozing her love and affection for him in front of the market vendors, anyway, but she would definitely refrain from using expressions like 'my husband and I'. The word 'husband' still sounded too foreign on her tongue, anyway. It was going to take some time yet to fully sink in. In the meantime, it was high time they were on their way to Miroku and Sango's house.

Kaede spoke up as they prepared to head out, suggesting that Kagome bring her bow with her and insisting that it was all right for her to borrow her quiver of arrows again. Not that she honestly expected them to come across any trouble on the short trip down to the local market village and back, and certainly not anything that Inuyasha couldn't handle on his own, but as a general rule of thumb Kagome should just always have her bow and arrows with her whenever they left the village for any purpose, just as Inuyasha wanted her to always be dressed in the robes of a miko. Besides, the more contact she had with the bow from Mt. Azusa, the better, so that it could once again resume forming its connection with her heart.

Making a reprimanding noise of surprise at herself for not having thought about bringing her bow, herself, Inuyasha sent Kaede an approving nod of thanks as Kagome quickly went to retrieve it and the elder miko's arrows, and then the couple was finally out the door, saying a quick goodbye to Rin, who'd gone outside after breakfast to pull more weeds along the side of the house.

Heading down the main street of town towards the small road that led to Sango and Miroku's house, it was more of the usual for the hanyou and miko as they nodded their heads to the few people who spotted them and bowed as they passed. Even though it felt like they were getting a late start that morning, that was really only because they'd both been up since before the sun. Arriving at the monk and slayer's house, it turned out they were right on time, as Miroku was outside, dressed and fed and ready to go but not yet actually waiting on them, as he was currently in the middle of trying to get his daughters to let go of his legs by promising them he'd buy them each a sweet treat for them to enjoy that night after dinner.

"Ah, Inuyasha, Kagome-sama, what perfect timing." the monk greeted as they walked up.

"Ah! Doggy!" Mizuki cried in joy upon spotting her favorite hanyou uncle.

"Uncle Inu!" Misaki chimed in, as both twins detached themselves from their father and rushed the half canine man.

"I guess we know who their favorite is." Miroku grumbled good-naturedly, while Sango laughed from her place in the doorway, Ichirou in her arms. Shippou was standing beside her, an amused expression on his face as well.

"Not now, kids, we gotta go." Inuyasha said, his voice calm but also firm.

"Go?" asked Misaki, clearly disappointed.

"Otou and Doggy go?" Mizuki elaborated, her lower lip trembling.

Rolling his eyes, Miroku knelt down beside where Inuyasha was standing and got his daughters' attentions.

"We're not going to be gone long. It's Market Day, remember? We're just going to the market, not an extermination job. I'll be back home this evening, in time for dinner."

"Promise?" Mizuki asked, her would-be tears already drying up.

Miroku nodded, his face serious. "Promise."

Inuyasha and Kagome remained silent, but they were each thinking that Miroku, for all his 'would you bear my child' nonsense back in the day, was actually a really good father. The twins ran back to their mother, at Miroku's instruction, and then Sango and Shippou both gave the trio their well-wishes for a safe journey before ducking back inside with the children.

"Keh, finally." Inuyasha said mostly to himself as the three of them headed out.

The first few minutes of their walk through town was silent, the trio bowing their heads to the various villagers who greeted them along their way, and then finally passing the last house, officially leaving the village behind them, Kagome spoke up first.

"Wow, this is weird. Almost like back during the quest, except Sango-chan's not with us."

"Or Shippou," Miroku added, "although he stays to help keep an eye on Sango and the kids whenever he's home and I have to leave. I prefer it when he's there, although sometimes he's off training."

"Keh, can't be helped." Inuyasha said, as their street met up with the larger, main highway that connected the various villages of the region. Turning, they continued on their way. "Could always send somebody else to pick up a few things at the market for you if that's all we were gonna do, but if a job comes in then that's it, we gotta go when the people need us, Shippou or no Shippou."

Kagome glanced her husband's way, giving him a warm smile. He noticed her expression, and quirked a brow at her.

"What?"

"Oh nothing..." she waved off. "Just like I said my first day back, it's just surprising, but a _good _thing, to hear you speak like that, and for me to realize how much you've matured. To hear you talk about having to go help people in need."

"It's a _job_, Miroku _charges_." he pointed out, cheeks a bit on the red side.

She waved that comment off as well.

"Still, you already said you help anyway even when they can't afford to pay anything. I'm proud of you, that's all."

His blush remained, but he shrugged in his best semblance of nonchalance.

"What am I supposed to do? Hear about people in trouble and then just let 'em die? Can't go running all over Nihon 'n' back looking for people who might randomly need help, that'd leave my own villagers vulnerable for way too long, but if somebody comes asking for help and it'll only take a few days or so then yeah I'll help."

She smirked.

"You called them your villagers again."

"So what? They _are _mine."

Miroku only grinned as this conversation unfolded beside him, honestly pleased that Inuyasha was comfortable speaking so freely around him. In a way it was like the old quest days, indeed, the three of them walking together on the road, but in a very big way it was _nothing _like the old quest days. For one thing, Kagome and Inuyasha hadn't gotten into a fight yet, and he didn't imagine they would any time soon, either.

"Like I'm yours?" the miko asked her husband, a hint of teasing in her voice.

"Oh, you're mine in a _whole _different way..."

As if finally realizing that Miroku was walking beside him on his other side, Inuyasha bit his tongue and didn't say the rest of his comment, cheeks an even darker shade of red now. Kagome, who'd been fully aware of Miroku's presence the entire time and didn't care one way or the other, picked up where her husband left off.

"Just like you're _mine_."

She reached over and gave the subduing beads a gentle tug.

Miroku chuckled, and Inuyasha shot him a glare, but the hanyou should have known better because staring right at the monk only caused Miroku to make a comment of his own, as if Inuyasha had verbally addressed him with his silent look, bringing the houshi into the conversation he had previously been content to merely listen to.

"So how _is _married life treating you, Inuyasha?" he asked then. "Did you and Kagome-sama have a pleasant wedding night?"

"Bouzu, you better fucking-"

"I'd be careful if I were you, Miroku-sama." Kagome interrupted, her face and tone of voice both far too serious to actually be serious. "As you two already explained to Shippou-chan, I have to defer to my husband now, and so I cannot come to anyone's rescue should they incur my husband's wrath."

She giggled and winked as she finished saying it, but even if she hadn't Inuyasha would have known she was obviously kidding, because there was just no way she'd _actually _let him beat on Miroku, no matter how much the idiot deserved it at times. But sighing in that moment, the hanyou could reluctantly admit that this was not one of those times. He'd had a _very_ mature conversation with Kagome two days prior, so surely he could endure his friend's playful teasing. Miroku really _was _a genuine friend, he knew; his _only _real 'guy' friend, and acknowledging this in his mind, Inuyasha figured it wouldn't hurt anything to actually answer the man's question.

"Keh, if you _must _know, you nosy pervert, Kagome set us up in the babaa's hut the same as you and Sango did while your house was being built."

"I'm surprised you even spent last night in Kaede-sama's house at all." Miroku commented in return, completely serious. "I would have thought camping out in the woods would have been more...intimate."

Even Kagome blushed mildly at that comment, but she was actually glad Miroku had broached the subject first, since she'd been trying to think of how to bring it up without an appropriate segue.

Inuyasha was still spluttering in embarrassment from Miroku's latest words when she spoke up again.

"Speaking of...I was wondering, Inuyasha, if while we were there today you wanted to, ya know...get a room at the inn?"

He stopped dead in his tracks, eyes wide, and turned to look at Kagome like she'd grown another head. He gulped.

"Wh-what?"

"Bad idea?" she asked, her tone of voice timid. "I mean, if you think it'd cause a problem, I don't want to cause any scandals or anything, especially since we need to stay on good terms with the market village."

Miroku grinned.

"If the two of you traveled swiftly, Kagome-sama, I believe it would take Inuyasha only around twenty minutes at his top speed to reach Edo, which has plenty of proper inns to choose from. Perhaps I-"

"Perhaps you should shut it, bouzu!" Inuyasha exploded, face burning brightly. "I'm not a fucking hentai like _you_, damn it. Kagome deserves her _own _bed, in her _own _house, not a room that's been used by who knows how many people. I won't do that to her."

"Shouldn't that be my decision?" Kagome chimed in, causing her husband to stare at her again, but something about the genuine panic in his gaze caused her to lose her fire.

Miroku wasn't so quick to let it go.

"Now wait just a minute." Miroku argued. "Are you insinuating that I dishonored my own wife by having us spend our wedding night together at the market inn?"

"I...that's...that's different!"

Now Kagome and Miroku were both looking at Inuyasha with raised eyebrows.

"I just...I...that is, but...gah!"

He was quickly losing what little composure he had left. Hands flung in the air, Inuyasha turned away from his traveling companions, walking a few paces ahead of them while muttering stuff under his breath that neither human could quite make out.

Kagome sighed.

He couldn't be _that _worried about wanting to do right by her in regard to their first time being in their own bed in their own bedroom. If so, the look in his eyes when their gazes had met would've been more steadfast and determined, not terrified. Maybe he really was afraid of an angry mob chasing them out if they pushed that forbidden boundary. Though on the other hand, she still remembered the look of fear that had been mixed with desire in his eyes that very morning when she'd offered to help him 'fish'... Shaking her head, Kagome knew that it didn't really matter _what _Inuyasha was afraid of, whether it was an angry mob or just wedding night jitters. The bottom line was that she wouldn't try to force him if he wasn't ready yet. Not if it was just going to make him freak out on her. How was that productive?

"Never mind," she said then, "I was only offering in case you might want to." She sighed again, and then gave him a reassuring smile when he tentatively glanced in her direction. "Waiting for our own house to get finished seems a bit ridiculous if you ask me, but if you don't want get a room at the inn tonight I won't force the issue." she stated bluntly. "It was probably a bad idea, anyway."

No, it probably wasn't. Not really. Especially if they traveled to a different inn, not using the one at the market town. But she would let him think she agreed if it would spare his feelings. It took a month, maybe even longer, to build a decent house like the kind in Kaede's village. He really wanted to wait _that _long? That was crazy! On the other hand, though, perhaps he was merely thinking that since they'd already waited three years to be reunited, what was one more month to do it right? She supposed she could understand that train of thought, and she certainly didn't want to come off as some kind of a wanton hussy that wasn't patient enough to wait any longer, herself. But despite not being able to _do _anything yet, by not waiting on the actual marriage, by getting that recorded with the headman right away, that at least gave them the right, in Inuyasha's mind, to cuddle like they'd done last night, and she would most definitely take cuddling over no cuddling, _especially _if cuddling was all she was going to get from him for the next month or so. So even though it was more like they were engaged rather than actually married she definitely did _not _regret marrying him right away, even if they couldn't consummate their marriage for a while yet.

Still, just because he didn't want to 'take her like an animal' out in the forest, _or _get a room at an inn, apparently, that didn't mean she would so readily concede to waiting an entire month before being with her husband. There had to be another option. She just had to find a way to persuade him without forcing him. For one thing, his desire to not _do _anything in the forest didn't mean they couldn't still _go _out into the forest again between now and their house being finished, just to 'talk'. She would see just how far she could get him without forcing him to do anything he didn't want to do. She would see if she could get him to _want _it just as badly as _she _did. The 21st century teenager in her, fresh out of high school, knew that there were _plenty _of things they could do together before going 'all the way', which in and of itself would certainly help take the edge off, if nothing else, and besides that, all of her previous silent vows of not doing anything to seduce him were null and void as far as she was concerned, now that they were actually _married_. She had originally only thought that she wouldn't try to seduce him before they'd gotten things worked out, when they were still technically 'just friends' and it might've made things complicated if he'd given into his carnal desires and then regretted it afterwards. That was before she'd even known he had issue with the forest; she'd hypothesized that he might've just regretted it for the fact that he'd taken advantage of a friend. There was nothing to regret now as far as she was concerned, nothing to feel guilty over, now that they were married.

She was his _wife_, so if he ended up saying 'screw it', screwing _her _on the forest floor, Kagome would definitely not complain, but she hadn't forgotten that just last night she'd promised herself she'd try to persuade him with words, instead of her body. Blind seduction would be a nasty trick, and if he really did still regret it afterwards she knew she'd feel guilty for putting him into that situation. Still, she had a plan. He might be able to hold out and keep telling her no, her attempts at loosening him up might be fruitless, but she wouldn't know unless she tried, right? She wouldn't be too aggressive. She wouldn't ignore his murmurs to stop and basically molest him. But if she promised him they wouldn't 'go all the way' if he didn't want to and got him to agree to do a few of those _other _things they could do instead, then maybe, just maybe, he'd wind up changing his mind once they were doing them. And even if he didn't, doing those 'other things' was still better than remaining completely celibate until their house was finished. That was the plan, but she'd have to worry about putting it into motion another day. Today, they had some shopping to do.

Unaware of the precise direction her thoughts had traveled, Inuyasha observed his wife through a side glance as they continued walking in silence. He'd been able to tell from her tone as well as scent that she was disappointed in him, but that she was doing her best to go along with his wishes. Miroku was uncustomarily silent after his one comment, as well, probably sensing the delicacy of the situation, which was definitely a bad sign as far as the hanyou was concerned because Miroku _always _teased unless he really did know that feelings would be hurt. His silence reminded Inuyasha of all the times the monk had refrained from saying anything about Kikyou after one of his notorious fuck-ups regarding the undead miko back during their early quest days.

Great. Now he felt like a total ass.

The truth was, he _was _moderately worried about how well them trying to get a room at an inn would go over with the innkeepers, although that wasn't his _only_ reason for not wanting to try it, and neither was what he'd said about Kagome deserving better, although he definitely thought she _did_. But his main reason was that he'd planned on using the next month or so while their house was being built to psych himself up and hopefully work through his nerves and insecurities. Having her suddenly ask him if he'd like to get a room _that night_, he'd felt like a boy becoming a man before he was ready, a young warrior entering his first time in battle, if he'd had it dumped on him a month sooner than he'd thought and with no real time to prepare.

Perhaps he was over thinking things. Perhaps he was worrying about nothing. Perhaps he should just _go _for it since ultimately, eventually, he'd be out of excuses and unable to stall even a minute longer, anyway. Perhaps he'd find the courage to actually _explain_ his insecurities to Kagome, too, so that she'd understand and help him work through his nervousness sooner rather than later, but _not _while Miroku was right fucking there.

A half-truth would have to do for now.

"What I think you deserve is only part of it, Kagome." he confessed then, breaking the silence between them. "It probably _is _unwise to even try it, especially at the market village."

She sighed, and he could tell that she didn't necessarily disagree with him.

"Yeah, I wasn't sure." she admitted then. "It was just a passing thought."

"Plus," Inuyasha added, a bit of a blush staining his cheeks, "I think you're forgetting just how thin an inn's walls are, and how good my hearing is."

Kagome's eyes widened at that, and Miroku laughed.

"Ah, that's right," the monk chimed in, "not to mention that nose of yours."

"Feh, don't remind me."

"Wait a minute..." Kagome spoke up, slowly putting two and two together. "Is that why you were always so against staying at inns during the shard hunt?"

He blushed darker and looked away.

It was Kagome who laughed that time, and said honestly, "I'm sorry, I never knew."

"Keh, that's 'cause I never told you. If I would've tried to say that I didn't want to stay at the inn 'cause it smelled of sex and the sounds of people goin' at it were annoying you would've..."

He paused, biting his tongue at the subdued look she gave him. Crap, he hadn't meant to bring it up again like that.

"I would've said 'it', I know." Kagome said, her tone and eyes apologetic.

"Hey now, I didn't mean nothin' by it. It's just true is all, but it ain't like I was tryin' to throw it in your face. I didn't say it before, so here goes...I forgive you, okay? I forgive you for each and every time you said 'it'.I'm _not _angry with you about it, okay? Remember, you wanted to take the beads off, and I'm the one who said I wanted to keep them, so obviously it's not _that _sore of an issue with me. Don't worry 'bout it."

Kagome's smile brightened significantly at his words, realizing how hard it probably was for him to say such things in front of Miroku. He was also being completely honest, she knew. It wasn't exactly as if she could deny his accusation. She probably _would _have 'osuwari'd him if he'd said such things against staying at an inn back during the shard hunt. And considering what had now been brought to her attention, she realized that staying at an inn, at least for their first time, was definitely out of the question. He was clearly afraid in his own right, probably bridegroom jitters since he was a one-hundred-fifty-year-old virgin, and a hotel with _literally _paper-thin walls that smelled of other people's sex was definitely _not _the most romantic or comforting of environments, especially when the innkeepers might well give them nasty looks on top of it all, whispering hateful words he'd be able to hear on top of the other guests' moaning and grunting.

_If I had his heightened senses, I probably wouldn't want to go near an inn, either_... she realized.

Deciding to reassure him then that while she didn't object to the notion of _not _waiting until their house was done, she most certainly _wasn't _a total hentai who thought that sex was the most important thing hands down, she spoke back up in that moment with, "Honestly, about the inn, I also wasn't actually sure if you'd even want to spend the money. Especially since it's an unpleasant environment for you, anyway, and plus you're nervous about the innkeepers, then I guess it'd be a stupid waste of money to get a room for a night since we could certainly use the cost of a room to buy a bunch of different things for the house, instead."

"This is true." Miroku chimed in then, deciding to cut the hanyou some slack.

While he valued sex higher up on the importance scale, even _he _could understand the logic in holding off on renting a room if you honestly needed to spend the money on other things instead. After all, even he had only sprung for a night at the inn his and Sango's wedding night, because it had been important enough to him to spend the money for that first night together, but then after that they too had waited until their house was built to fully enjoy being newlyweds. Sure, they'd snuck off into the woods plenty of times for this and that, which he knew Inuyasha couldn't possibly be unaware of, but he would not rehash the argument of what Kagome 'deserved' in that regard. That was between the hanyou and miko. Miroku could completely understand why Inuyasha would be hesitant to make use of an inn, though, for various reasons. He chose to focus on the financial one Kagome had just voiced.

"While I am certain our local villagers will donate a _lot _of things towards your new home, you will undoubtedly be required to purchase many things for yourselves, as well, and while I would be happy to contribute some of my own financial earnings towards the cause, there are only so many coins even in my own possession before they too are all gone, at least until we are able to earn more. Under the circumstances, I agree that you should spend your money wisely."

"_Thank_ you." Inuyasha huffed out, sounding more exasperated than he actually felt. In reality he was mostly relieved.

Unaware of the hanyou's true feelings, Miroku _would _have made another joke about the couple camping out in the forest overnight, since, of course, that would be completely free of charge, but after what the hanyou had already said about Kagome deserving her own home and bed, he chose to let the subject go. He didn't want to push his friend _too _far. At the end of the day, believe it or not, the monk could admit to himself that it was really none of his business, and more importantly than that, he also knew that the more he teased and tried to push Inuyasha into Kagome's arms, the more resistant the hanyou would likely become, which would of course be counterproductive for the poor miko. So for her sake, he would refrain from teasing her husband beyond the breaking point. Perhaps she had her own plans that involved camping out in the woods at some point, and any jokes on his part about the subject could very well ruin those plans, he realized.

Kagome, realizing in turn that Miroku wasn't going to chime back in with anything else perverted, decided to be the next one to speak up in that moment, effectively changing the subject.

"Well then, now that _that's _settled, let's talk about something less embarrassing." she said, giggling a little despite herself.

"Agreed." Inuyasha spoke up right away, shooting Miroku another glare when the monk chuckled as well.

The rest of their morning's walk towards the market village was filled with amusing tales of Miroku's various adventures in parenthood. At one point they passed a couple of men from their village along the road, the farmers having gotten an earlier start than our trio, their pace limited by the ox pulling a large cart of wears beside them. Goods from their village, to be sold to the various vendors for resale. The farmers bowed humbly and murdered morning greetings to the houshi, hanyou and miko as they passed, and after saying back a few pleasant greetings of their own our trio continued on their way, leaving the farmers further and further behind them on the highway.

"That's going to be us a month from now, only we'll have a cart full on our way back home instead of on the way to market." Kagome said conversationally as the market town came into view.

"Home..." Inuyasha murmured softly, glancing Kagome's way with a loving expression. For once, he didn't mind Miroku listening in to what he had to say.

"Just you being by my side is my home, Kagome. I haven't had a home for three years, but now, I do. I could live with you in the forest and be at home. Still, you're human, and you deserve a real house, and even I must admit it'll be nice having an actual house to call home, now that I've got a reason for one. Now that I've got somebody to share it with."

"I feel the same way." she agreed, the look in her own eyes just as loving. "Even if we had to live in a cave I wouldn't have regretted my decision to come here. My home, too, is by your side. But a real house _will _be nice. I'm glad things worked out the way they did."

"Yeah..." he agreed.

Miroku, smiling, remained silent.

They dropped the subject as the first of many vendors who'd parked their carts along the side of the road came within reach, and seeing a multitude of things they didn't need they kept right on walking, the vendors who recognized Miroku and Inuyasha and who had no qualms with Inuyasha's youkai blood trying their best to get the group's attention as they passed. It was quite the experience for Kagome, as she glanced around at everything with barely restrained wonder and excitement. It was like a flea market, but with the kinds of things for sale that her grandfather kept stored away. What had only ever been historic relics to her were now suddenly brand new, everyday objects.

More than one vendor asked her where she'd gotten such an unusual and well-made travel satchel, referring to her modern yellow backpack, and to spare any complications she answered only that she'd acquired it many years ago in a different region along her travels, and that she did not have the contact information of the person who'd made it.

The first hour or so at the market went by uneventfully, the trio staying together as our favorite couple more or less tagged along with Miroku as he did the shopping he needed to do first. This was no different to Inuyasha than his many other trips to market with the houshi, except, of course, for his lovely wife by his side keeping him company as the monk haggled with the peddlers for the best deal possible.

At one point Inuyasha leaned in and whispered to Kagome, "You'd think they'd learn by now that you can't swindle a swindler, but they always think they can get one up on him."

Kagome giggled at his words, and then hanyou and miko both smirked as Miroku came away from the latest vendor again having acquired his item at a genuinely fair price, instead of the price the vendor had originally been asking.

"Maybe I should just let you do the talking for me when it comes to the things on my own shopping list." Kagome said to Miroku as the three of them walked on, the carrying bag draped over Miroku's back nearly stuffed to capacity by that point with the various things Sango had asked for.

"I am only all too happy to help in any way that I can, Miko-sama." Miroku answered, his game face already in place as they neared the traveling leatherworker's station.

Miroku knew he was their best bet for a quiver for Kagome without traveling to a larger city. Even though quivers weren't really in high demand in their particular region and the leatherworker made plenty of other items to keep business flowing, Miroku knew the man undoubtedly had to have the skills necessarily to make a quiver upon request. It would have been a little beyond Riku's capabilities, he knew, although he was certain their own leatherworker would have tried his best had they asked him, but Miroku understood Inuyasha's desire to get Kagome a professional quiver by someone who'd actually made them before. Judging by the quality of this man's other items on display, he definitely had the skills required.

Glancing Inuyasha's way briefly, the hanyou gave him a quick nod, letting Miroku know he'd reached the same conclusion and also agreed that they were at the right place.

Inuyasha didn't just stand back and watch as Miroku began talking to the leatherworker on his and Kagome's behalf, although he did meet Kagome's eyes with a silent look of agreement that among the three of them, Miroku was by far the best negotiator. Still, when it came to what type of quiver she got, Inuyasha stated it should be her decision first and foremost, and that if it was a more expensive design, so be it. He also said he wanted it to carry a decent amount of arrows, and be sturdy enough to help protect the arrows from breaking in the dreaded but unfortunately realistic possibility of her getting tossed about during a battle with a nasty youkai. Just because Naraku was dead didn't mean they'd _never _face off against a baddie ever again, especially given his and Miroku's line of work, and he'd much rather she be prepared and turn out to never need it than _not _be prepared and turn out to need it. Perhaps he was being paranoid, and he certainly _hoped _she'd never actually have to face off against any serious monsters ever again, but he was her protector and he took his job very seriously.

As they talked, it turned out the leatherworker was actually among the people who were not only aware of Miroku and Inuyasha's current role in coming to the aid of those who needed it, but he was also familiar with the tale of their heroics when it came to defeating the terrible evil that was Naraku and the Shikon no Tama. Hearing the dark hanyou's name leave Inuyasha's lips, he knew just who that monster had been. More than a few people from Kaede's village had boasted over the years during the various Market Days that the legendary warriors had chosen to call their humble village home. All except for their precious Kagome-sama, who had been unjustly taken away from them, returned to the mysterious other world she had originally come from. To learn now that the miko standing before him was indeed the miko of legend, the Shikon Miko, who had helped to defeat Naraku and banish the Shikon no Tama from their world once and for all, he immediately agreed to make her whatever quiver she desired, free of charge.

Kagome wasn't looking to use her fame for free hand-outs the rest of her life, of course, and had no qualms with paying the man for his services, but he wouldn't hear of it. There was a brief back and forth of the most amusing reverse-haggling Inuyasha had ever seen until finally she relented and bowed deeply her sincerest thanks for his generosity. The way the man said it, were it not for her, he and a good deal of other people might not even be alive today. The _least_ he could do was gift her with a new quiver, he said, after learning that the one currently on her back had been borrowed from Kaede.

When he asked her about arrows next she said that while she could make her own, she was indeed looking for some good feathers for fletching, and before she could argue he told her not to worry about a thing, and that he would have a large collection of feathers ready for her next Market Day, as well. Humbled and nearly speechless, she bowed again and mumbled her thanks once more before they left the leatherworker to his station.

"At least we have more money to spend now, so I guess that's a good thing." Kagome relented, Inuyasha nodding his agreement.

Gradually, she collected the other items on her list, everyone else readily accepting their money. Maybe they knew who she and Inuyasha were, or maybe they didn't, but either way, they were in the business to get paid. Trying to save as much money as possible, Inuyasha told Kagome they'd skip the fabric because he was positive he could trade something simple like rabbit meat or firewood for inexpensive linen from one of the women in their own village, and Kagome readily agreed, knowing that the more they could barter for from a local villager back home, the better. While she still didn't like the idea of using her status to get things given to her for free, trading with meat or firewood was an excellent idea. Save the coins for the things they _needed _to buy with money.

With Kagome's shopping done, and with Miroku also stocked up on the various items on his list, including the promised sweet treats for his daughters, the trio were officially done with their shopping by early afternoon and agreed to hit the road. They'd skipped an official lunch, but had eaten more than a few treats here and there as they'd shopped, courtesy of Miroku, and so that was enough food in their bellies to make the journey back home.

The walk back was as uneventful as the walk there had been, and much less embarrassing as far as Inuyasha was concerned, since their various conversations remained in neutral territory the entire time. Just because he was looking forward to snuggling up with Kagome again that night didn't mean he needed to admit it out loud, but thankfully, Miroku never asked. Instead, they spent the majority of the walk going over the list of things they all knew would need to be acquired at the market town for their future house, versus the various things that could be procured in their home village.

Miroku, too, agreed that trading for goods from the villagers with food or firewood was a noble ideal. After all, even he, as a monk, did not purely accept things for free with no recompense. He paid for the villagers' donations by being a monk, by offering his prayers and blessings, and tending to the temple additions on the shrine grounds so that the villagers could go there and offer their own prayers to the Buddha. Inuyasha might call him a con-artist, and he would admit that he hadn't always followed the most noble of practices, but his spiritual powers _were _real, and his blessings were legitimate. Even back during the shard quest, when he'd used to lie about sensing a dark aura to gain them free room and board for a night, he had always left genuine ofuda with the homeowners or innkeepers upon their departure, ensuring that no dark auras could ever actually take a hold of those locations. And he had no intention of 'cheating' the people where he lived. The local villagers had _wanted _him to become their in-house Buddhist monk, so who was he to refuse them? And Inuyasha was their youkai protector. In a sense, he was already providing them with a spiritual service all his own, and deserved donations as _his _payment, for patrolling their borders regularly and keeping their village as safe as they were, but Miroku could still understand where Kagome was coming from.

There was a fine line between accepting the occasional gift, like she had already done that night at the headman's house, and taking full advantage of the villagers and expecting them to just hand her _everything _for free, all the time. It was a testament to her own sense of honor that she wanted to rightfully earn all that she gained. Her contribution to the destruction of Naraku and the sacred jewel had earned her an actual house; that was good enough. She wasn't going to protest their offer of gifting her and Inuyasha with their actual dwelling for free, but after accepting such a generous donation he could understand why she was feeling like enough was enough already.

"Speaking of our house," Kagome spoke up then, "I suppose that's number one on our list of things to do tomorrow. Picking out the exact location for our house and letting the headman and builders know."

"Absolutely." Inuyasha agreed right away.

Escorting Miroku home and saying a quick hi and bye to Sango and the kids, Inuyasha and Kagome politely declined the offer to stay for dinner and opted for heading back to Kaede's. Kagome had done her best to keep up without complaint, but the truth was, she wasn't used to so much walking. She was exhausted, and just wanted to eat a light dinner and hit the sack. Inuyasha had no complaints, and settling down to bed that night, Kagome again relished in the simple pleasure of sleeping in her husband's arms. She _had_ started to kiss him, but catching herself, she kept it chaste, much to his obvious relief. Too much intimacy with others in the same room would make Inuyasha uncomfortable, she knew, even though they had their privacy screen blocking them from view. It was best not to push him too far. If she hadn't felt so ready to drop she would've tried to get him to detour for a few minutes after parting with Miroku, but they'd gone straight back to Kaede's because she was honestly too tired to worry about anything else, that night at least. He was off the hook just this once. Tomorrow was going to be a busy day, she knew, what with trying to figure out precisely where their house should go, but in doing so that act automatically allotted them alone time in the forest together. Surely they could take a few 'breaks' while mentally drawing up the blueprints for their future dwelling. She smirked at the thought, looking forward to tomorrow.


	15. Busy Day

Chapter 15 – Busy Day

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Their second night together as husband and wife was peaceful, their second morning together, amusing. Again Inuyasha had held her tenderly in his arms all throughout the night, and again she had woken up to the feel of what her being in his arms really did to him poking into her from behind. Again she had teased him quietly, playfully, and blushing but also laughing, he'd managed to refrain from going 'fishing' that morning, extracting himself from her embrace before moving over to his standard position against the wall as the others roused, and Kagome assisted Kaede and Rin with that morning's breakfast preparations.

After breakfast he'd done a quick patrol of their borders, stating he felt he'd better because he had skipped it the day before. He knew he didn't really have to do it _every _morning, because it obviously didn't get done whenever he and Miroku were out of town on an extermination job, but it would be irresponsible of him to blow it off when he was there and _could_ do it. Kagome understood that, and had offered to go with him, but at the hesitant, torn look in Inuyasha's eyes, she hadn't insisted. She got the feeling that he feared if she went with him he'd be tempted to do more while out there than just check their borders for the scent of stray youkai. That had been the idea, of course, but she wouldn't force him. She would never force him. That didn't mean she was thrilled with the idea of holding back, though, and while she wasn't deliberately trying to manipulate him, she didn't really try to mask her disappointment, either. She was just being honest. The last thing she wanted to do was pretend everything was a-okay when it wasn't; that mentality had caused far too many misunderstandings between them in the past and she would _not _be responsible for her husband mistakenly getting the impression that she didn't mind their lack of intimacy in the slightest. She wasn't _angry _though, and so she'd still smiled and told him she understood. She'd been able to tell from the look in his eyes that he had felt guilty for hurting her feelings. She'd let him process that information and reach his own conclusions by himself.

He came back soon enough, and now, the two of them were wandering around near the clearing of the well, inspecting the landscape and examining the various trees. There were much more important things to think about than him not wanting her to go with him that morning, and so completely putting it behind her, Kagome was genuinely happy in that moment as they shared this time alone together, walking the borders of what they were now officially declaring their own private property. The entire forest was his, really, but this spot, this was _theirs_.

"Okay, I think this one's gotta go, for sure." Kagome said, pointing to a particular tree, and tilting his head in thought before nodding in agreement, Inuyasha slashed at it with his claws. He was just making a scar across the bark for now, just marking it to be removed later.

"I think the main house would be best back here." he said next, gesturing to a mostly open area just to the east of the Bone Eater's Well and Goshinboku.

It was very close to the same spot where Kagome's family's house in the future resided, a fact that was not lost on either of them, but Inuyasha had not chosen that location on purpose for that reason alone. Looking around at the way the earth was shaped, at the taller trees he'd rather leave standing if he could help it, and where the beaten path that had been made by their own feet headed west away from the well and into the woods straight for the village beyond, it really was the best location. Kagome immediately agreed, the two sharing a silent, knowing look. That tender moment escalated into a few kisses that Inuyasha was happy to share with her, but before things could get _too_ heated he reminded Kagome that they needed to go talk to Haruto, and sighing, she knew he was right.

Deciding they had everything figured out as best they could, hanyou and miko went and met with the headman, who promised them he'd have the local men meet them by early afternoon to begin work cleaning and hard packing the earth. He also said he'd send word for the itinerant carpenters right away, letting them know their services were needed as well. With that taken care of, Inuyasha and Kagome headed back to the spot for their future house, after making a quick detour back to Kaede's to borrow a few things first, the hanyou immediately getting to work clearing away the few trees that needed to come down while his miko bride used her borrowed weeding tools to take care of the grasses and underbrush. Sure, she knew the men would do it, but she wanted to help. Yard work wasn't exactly the type of 'alone time' she'd envisioned spending with her husband that day, but it _did _need to be done, and working on getting their house built, that gave Kagome a whole different type of warm and fuzzy feeling inside her heart. This was important. Kisses could wait.

Inuyasha, who was uprooting the trees rather than merely chopping them down, figuring he may as well get the trunk and roots together in one go since the stumps would have to be pulled out either way, stacked the trees all neatly off to the side, knowing the carpenters were going to need the lumber. Whatever wouldn't work for construction could be cut up into firewood later. Watching him work, Kagome was silently amazed by his nonchalant show of strength. Sure, she knew he was strong. She'd seen him lift giant boulders over his head before. Guiltily, she recalled the time long ago when she'd subdued him while carrying one. Sure, he'd been about to smash the well with it, but that was no excuse. She was relieved he was made of tougher stuff and hadn't been seriously injured, then or any of the other times she'd used that blasted command. Watching now as he gripped the narrower trees by their trunks, claws digging in, before just lifting and hoisting the trees out of the earth as if they were cardboard props in a school play he was removing from the stage, she found herself silently wondering just _how _strong he actually was. Coming upon one of the larger trees they'd marked, instead of yanking it out of the ground like he was pulling weeds he gave that one a good swift punch, and with a thundering crash it fell to the ground, uprooted as well.

Remembering the joke he'd made after she'd displayed her miko powers, Kagome said, "Damn, remind _me _not to get on _your _bad side."

Carting that tree over to the others, he glanced her way at her comment and laughed. He didn't take her words to heart, knowing she was no more afraid of his demonic strength than he was afraid of her miko powers.

Deciding to break for lunch, Inuyasha made a quick dash to the river to catch them a couple of fish while Kagome tried for the first time to get their campfire going all by herself, _without _the use of her matches. Taking out her brand new flint and steel, she did it just like Kaede had shown her. It took her a few tries, and Inuyasha returned with the fish scaled and gutted before she'd gotten it, but he waited patiently, giving her words of encouragement, and then before too much longer Kagome successfully had a nice campfire going.

"I did it!" she cheered.

"Keh, 'course you did." he replied proudly, offering her a tender smile.

They ate in companionable silence, and then it was time to get back to work.

Earlier, Kagome had made a pile of grasses and weeds near the area they had decided would be a perfect spot for their future vegetable garden.

"Look, I've already started my first compost pile!" she joked in that moment, not really kidding, as she tossed the remains of their fish into that pile as well.

Snuffing out the temporary campfire, they both quickly got back to work, and were in the midst of their mutual tasks when the local builders started showing up. After the village men got all their bowing and '-sama'ing out of their systems the group of them quickly got to work, and the men were openly impressed by Inuyasha's show of strength when he continued to uproot the last couple of trees that needed to be removed, adding them to the pile like it was nothing. Then, it was the villagers' turns to get to work, letting the hanyou and miko take a much deserved break, as they watched the men begin the tedious process of hard packing the cleaned earth. It was going to take a while.

In the meantime, Inuyasha and Kagome spoke with the head carpenter, describing for him the precise layout for how they wanted their house to go. Nothing ridiculously grandiose, but nothing too simplistic, either. It had taken some back and forth discussions between the couple to get a final design they could both agree on. Inuyasha wanted Kagome to have the very best, knowing what her house in the future had looked like and what all she'd given up in order to live with him in his century. Kagome, on the other hand, didn't want their house to stand out like a sore thumb if it was made too spectacular for the area and time period. She could live humbly; all she needed was a little place for her and Inuyasha to call their own. Not to mention they weren't high class enough for anything beyond what one normally saw in such a village.

Sure, the _villagers _respected Inuyasha's lineage and power and considered him high status, not to mention _her _status in their eyes as the Shikon Miko; they would probably comply with building them a freakin' _castle_ if they asked for it. But it wasn't the villagers Kagome was worried about; she didn't want to cause trouble with the local daimyo. Even Inuyasha could understand that. It wasn't as if he were really all that full of himself. Just because the locals thought of him as just barely one step below a kami, that didn't mean he wasn't still a 'filthy hanyou' in most other people's eyes, and he knew that all too well. It was something he was reminded of every time he and Miroku went on an extermination job. And Kagome, while she was their precious Kikyou-sama's reincarnation, the fated Shikon Miko, destroyer of evil, to the samurai class she was just another miko. Somebody to be respected, sure, but not _that _much. They were not high society enough for a castle, which was definitely what that time period would classify a reproduction of Kagome's childhood home.

Finally, they'd agreed to compromise, and stick with a housing design that some of the richest local villagers also had, making sure they held back enough to not upstage the headman himself. _His _compound had to stay the nicest; theirs would be among the second nicest, thus ensuring it was not _too _fancy for a village of their stature. On the rare occasion the local foot soldiers came through they shouldn't question it. Hanyou and miko had agreed upon three large rooms; a main living area with a spacious separate sleeping area behind it, and a separate side area off the main room that would eventually function as a proper bathing room. He was _definitely _going to get Kagome that bathtub, so better to build the room for it now, even if it had to wait a while. As predicted, the village men didn't bat an eye at the request for such a large house, fully believing the couple deserved it.

While speaking with the head local carpenter they also discussed possible locations for a couple of outbuildings, structures for storage and some food preparations. If they ever wanted to make their own miso, or dry their own fish, then an area away from the main house would be best, especially when considering Inuyasha's sense of smell. They also discussed less glamorous necessities, like their own private latrine, and even though they were kind of far away from the nearest public water well Kagome opted out of having a private water well dug because she said they were close enough to the river, just over the rocky incline to the north of the Bone Eater's Well, that she could always just fetch their water directly from the river. It was literally a skip and a jump away for Inuyasha, so whenever she didn't feel like making the few-minute trek he could do it for her, he volunteered in that moment, also agreeing that they needn't worry about the added labor of digging a water well. He'd rather get their water from the river, anyway. Nice and fresh. He'd never cared as much for the taste of well water.

With just about everything discussed that needed to be, for the time being, at least, Inuyasha and Kagome left the villagers to their work, then, heading back to Kaede's to stay out of everyone's way. Inuyasha would help out when he could, when it came to heavy lifting and labor like chopping or moving wood, plus he knew they'd undoubtedly need more trees, but first the dirt had to be packed properly for the house's foundation, so they'd worry about the lumber later. The first thing to go up would be the house's frame, and that couldn't get done until the itinerant carpenters arrived, anyway.

Returning to Kaede's, Inuyasha sat in his customary spot against the wall and listened as the elderly miko told Kagome a few things about healing and sickness. She went through a short list of the most common ailments, and what symptoms to look out for. Soon, Kaede said she'd have Kagome start going with her on her morning rounds, so that she could get the feel for it, but she would let the newlywed couple get settled into their new home first before taking too much of Kagome's time away from her husband. Inuyasha blushed at her comment, but otherwise only replied with "Keh."

Dinner was peaceful, and then for the third night in a row he slept with Kagome in his arms, his nose buried in her hair. He absolutely adored holding her as he was doing, and she certainly had no complaints about the embrace itself, but even so, it'd been impossible to miss how she'd obviously been holding herself back again as she'd gently kissed him goodnight, a mere peck on the lips. She'd had an almost haunted look in her eyes, and as he lied silently listening to her breathe in that moment, Inuyasha vowed to himself that he'd make it up to her. Just because he'd said he didn't want to 'take her' like an animal didn't mean they had to stop showing all affection for each other whatsoever until their house was built. Kagome hadn't said as much to him directly, but he knew she'd been thinking it; he could see it in her eyes, and read it in her scent. And damn it all, but he wanted to kiss her just as badly as she wanted to be kissed. He wouldn't have been so quick to stop her that morning if it hadn't been for the very real fact that they'd needed to get to Haruto's to get the ball rolling on their house. He'd stopped them for that reason long before things had progressed to a point where he otherwise would've needed to stop them. Kissing he could handle. Kissing and maybe a little light touching. He did _not _want Kagome thinking he didn't desire her. Thinking about their trip to the market the day before and what all had been discussed that morning, and the conclusions he'd silently reached, Inuyasha realized abruptly that things couldn't go on like this. He definitely thought Kagome deserved better than to be rutted in the dirt like a dog, but after their recent misunderstanding regarding the whole miko thing Inuyasha too had realized that open and honest discussion was what was needed to prevent any possible future misunderstandings. He needed to suck it up and confess to her his _other _reasons for holding back. He knew that now.

That next morning, Inuyasha pulled away from Kagome before she woke up, preventing her from again feeling just how aroused he'd become by her presence, but he stayed with her in their private corner of the hut until she woke up and rolled over to greet him.

"Mmm...good morning." she greeted quietly as she sat up, not wanting to disturb the others. She tried not to let her disappointment show that he'd already left the sleeping bag, not allowing her even the simple intimacy of waking up in his arms, but he could see it in her eyes anyway.

He wasn't worried.

Her melancholy eyes quickly widened in surprise as he immediately leaned down and captured her mouth with a gentle yet passionate kiss. It wasn't all that explosive, but it was _far _more heated than anything else they'd done in Kaede's house.

"Morning..." he replied then, his voice a husky whisper. "Wanna come with me on my patrols today?" he asked, and he knew he'd made the right decision at the way her eyes lit up, her entire face and aura radiating surprised happiness.

"I'd love to!" she answered sincerely, enthusiastically.

Breakfast had never taken so annoyingly long before in all his life. Inuyasha had been less impatient during the shard hunt, or so he felt in that moment, at least. Perhaps that was a _bit _of an exaggeration, but now that he'd made his decision he didn't want to lose his nerve; he wanted to get _going _already!

Fortunately, Kagome managed to slip it in during their morning conversation with Kaede and Rin that she'd be going with him during his morning patrols in a completely innocent, non-suggestive fashion, and Kaede, just as non-suggestively, politely dismissed Kagome as soon as they finished eating, insisting that she didn't need to help with washing the dishes every single morning. If she and Inuyasha had plans that morning, then she did not want to hinder those plans, Kaede stated matter-of-factly. Thanking her and then saying their temporary goodbyes, miko and hanyou excused themselves and headed out.

Instead of going across the street into Inuyasha's Forest, towards the area where their house would soon be built, they headed west, up the shrine steps, figuring there would be far fewer people in that part of the woods. He could already hear the men hard at work on what would be their future home to the east, so going _that _way wouldn't offer them the privacy they needed for Kagome to climb onto his back without prying eyes bearing witness.

Once they reached the shrine-temple, which was thankfully void of visitors at the moment, and Miroku had also not yet arrived for his daily chores, Kagome, once again dressed in miko garb and armed with her bow and Kaede's arrows, climbed silently onto Inuyasha's back. In a blink they were gone, racing through the trees, and they each found themselves relishing the sensation, while Inuyasha regretted not having done this sooner. Kagome did wonder in passing what had taken him so long to come back around, having thought after their first forest run that it was something they'd most likely be doing on a near daily basis, but she wasn't going to look a gift horse in the mouth and was definitely just grateful to be doing it again in that moment. Even if they did nothing but run around before coming back to Kaede's, leaving her no real opportunities to make a move on him, she would still enjoy this moment in time, absolutely loving the sensation of riding on his back as she was currently doing.

For Inuyasha's part, he was wondering what the _hell _had been wrong with him these last couple of days, to so stupidly deny them this. Well okay, so two days ago had been Market Day; that day was a wash. But yesterday? He could have totally taken her with him during his morning patrols, and if not, then they could have gone out for a private run in the afternoon, after leaving the builders to their work at the site of their future house. Why had he insisted on denying them such alone time? Because he was _scared? _No more. He had a beautiful woman to call his own, a beautiful _wife_, and he was damn well going to _enjoy_ that. Just because they couldn't enjoy _that _didn't mean he couldn't enjoy a forest run with her. He'd just been afraid that he couldn't trust himself, but even so, it wasn't really losing himself and defiling Kagome that he truly feared the most, especially knowing that that was precisely what she _wanted _him to do. It was simply the unknown that frightened him, particularly regarding her reaction to learning about some things that were presently unknown to _her_...and he'd decided the night before that he would tell her the truth, consequences be damned. She was his wife, he was her husband; she loved him and he loved her and _nothing_, not even his own stupidity, was going to get in their way.

It didn't take Kagome long to realize that this was a longer morning patrol than Inuyasha usually made. They were still out, deep in the wild forest, by the time he had already returned to Kaede's the previous morning. He was obviously stalling, obviously just enjoying the feel of her on his back, but that was quite all right with the future-born miko and she had absolutely no intention of pointing it out. She would ride with him all day and night if he wanted her to.

Finally, they descended into a clearing, and it took Kagome less than a second to recognize it as the same clearing they had escaped to before, on that fateful afternoon four days prior. Feeling both optimistic and emboldened, she slid silently from his back when he straightened enough for her to do so, and then with her feet touching the ground, he turned around to face her.

Inuyasha met her eyes, and the absolute, unbridled happiness he could see in her gaze mixed with just a splash of mischievousness had butterflies erupting in his stomach.

"Kagome, I..."

Interrupting himself, Inuyasha mentally said _Screw it _and pulled his wife into a kiss.

She instantly and eagerly returned his embrace, their tongues and lips getting reacquainted with one another. His hands stayed in neutral territory, at first, on her lower back and the back of her head, but as her right hand climbed higher than the base of his neck to reach his left ear, her thumb and fingers gently rubbing the soft, fuzzy skin with tender strokes, he growled low in the back of his throat and moved the hand on her lower back a bit further south. To Kagome's credit, she didn't so much as flinch as she felt her husband's hand firmly cup her ass, nor did the guttural, almost feral sounding growl vibrating in his chest put her off her game. If anything, his actions only fueled her on even more. She maintained just enough awareness of herself to lessen the pressure of her kisses every time she felt his fangs make themselves known, the prominent cuspids poking her a few times but never hard enough to break the skin. Outside of that, she was becoming a bit more on the feral side, herself.

Inuyasha did jump in surprise, just a smidgen, when he felt Kagome's left hand dip down to grab his own ass in return, but he didn't pull away or stop the kiss. Instead, he moved his other hand down to her other butt cheek and pulled her hips forward, grinding himself against her.

"Kagome..." he moaned in between kisses. "Damn it...we...can't..." he said only partway coherently, his voice strained, his actions contradicting his words as he continued still to rub himself against her, his body's desire making itself known. So much for only kissing and some _light _touching.

"Why...not...?" Kagome asked between kisses in return, and her words would have sounded innocent if it weren't for how heavily she was panting.

Then, with her right hand never leaving his ear, Kagome moved her left hand away from his ass and to his hip, to the open slit in the side of his hakama. Before Inuyasha knew what'd hit him, her hand had a firm grip on his fundoshi-clad excitement, and he immediately pried himself out of the kiss with a gasp of surprise, although he couldn't back away from her too far because she had not yet released him _down there_. Her eyes were sparkling merrily, brow quirked in playful challenge. His hands were off her ass in an instant and were instead on her shoulders, although he wasn't actively trying to shove her away. It was almost more to steady himself on his feet, Kagome'd say. His expression was a comical mix of shock, horror, and elation, and in that moment Kagome gave a little, gentle squeeze, and his eyes widened so far they looked like they just might pop right out of his head.

"K-Kagom-me..." he rasped, "I..."

Then the bitch asked with a teasingly seductive voice, "Do you really want me to stop?"

"Oh _fuck_..." he groaned, closing his eyes, his ears folding back, causing her right hand to release his left ear in the process. "No...but yes...please. We need to talk."

That was the single hardest thing he'd ever said in his entire life, and recognizing the seriousness of his tone, and knowing that whatever was on his mind, he clearly wasn't angry with her for her bold actions, Kagome showed mercy in that moment and released him, stepping away from him a few paces so that he could catch his breath.

He was breathing so hard that he looked as if he'd just gotten through battling Sesshoumaru.

She smirked in pride to know that she could cause such a reaction in him so easily.

"Kagome..." he started again in that moment, the expression on his face beseeching her to understand, to let him explain himself. "I...I _do _think that you deserve better than this..." He gestured with a wave of his hand to the forest around them. "But...but I wanna make sure you understand, that's not the _only_ reason I..." He cleared his throat. "I mean, to be completely honest, I... Damn it."

Turning away from her, he paced back and forth a little, and she watched him walk in small circles with a look in her eyes that was becoming more and more concerned by the moment. Finally, she spoke.

"I'm sorry, Inuyasha. I was just having fun, I didn't mean to-"

"No, no, it's not that." he interrupted, coming back up to her and grasping her right hand with both of his own, almost pleading with his eyes for her to just read his mind, which they both knew she could unfortunately not do.

She would give him however much time to say it as he needed, whatever 'it' was.

He visibly swallowed, preparing to speak again, and she unconsciously held her breath.

"I'm scared." he confessed quietly.

Kagome blinked, waiting for him to elaborate, but he didn't seem to be about to, so then she decided to prod gently. She would _not _tease or belittle what was obviously a very important issue to him. She knew how hard it had to have been for him to admit that he was scared, especially over something like this. This was Inuyasha, for crying out loud! He _never _admitted he was scared; it had to be serious, at least in his mind. That he was actually willing to talk to her about it, that he was actually opening up to her, that showed her how much he really loved her.

"What are you scared of?" she asked softly, tenderly, her eyes reflecting her own love for him in return.

He closed his eyes and sighed, and then opening them again, he gave her a small, sheepish grin.

"Everything." he admitted with barely a chuckle. "Just 'cause I've had dreams, they were just _dreams_, ya know?" He hoped she would understand what he meant. "I mean, it's one thing to fantasize about it when you don't honestly think it'll ever really happen, but suddenly, it _is_ real, and it's like, I feel like..."

His eyes lit up, having thought of the perfect analogy.

"Remember how freaked out you were about passing your high school entrance exam once it was the day of the test, no more time to study?"

Her eyes widened a little in partial understanding.

"Are you afraid you...won't be good enough?"

The look in his eyes told her that that was at least one of his major fears, yes.

"Oh, Inuyasha, I _love _you, and I know you don't really know what you're doing, since you're a virgin, but so am _I_, and I don't really know what I'm doing _either_. We'll learn together. I would never, _could _never, think that you didn't measure up in some way."

She stepped forward and wrapped her arms around him in a tender hug, pressing the side of her face against his chest, listening to how rapidly his heart was beating. He wrapped his arms around her in return, resting his chin on the top of her head as he held her to him tightly.

"Truth be told," she continued softly, "as time goes by and we both become more familiar with each other's bodies, we're bound to keep improving, keep learning and advancing, as we try new things, as we figure out what works best. Neither of us can honestly expect ourselves to automatically be awesome at it right out the gate. You'll probably climax a lot faster in the beginning than you will later on, as the newness wears off, and I probably won't at all, from penetration at least. But there are ways around that that I'll be _more _than happy to teach you."

She pulled away and gave him a playful wink at that last part, and his embarrassed blush as he avoided her gaze told her that while he might not be able to say anything back to what she'd just said he was at least listening and understood what she'd meant.

It took him a little while to find his voice, but then clearing his throat, he decided not to comment on her last statement and instead asked, "What if I...hurt you?"

He braved meeting her eyes again at that, and the look in his golden amber orbs was one of genuine fear and preemptive regret. The look she gave him back was patient and serious.

"Inuyasha, I'm sorry, but it hurts girls a little bit their first time. I might even bleed a little, and that's just a fact of life. I know how you are when it comes to me being injured, and I'm sorry, but it's hardly as if it'll be your _fault _in any way, so just don't worry about it, all right? I _want _to have sex with you, you're my _husband_, and after the first couple of times then not only will it not hurt me in the slightest, but I'm sure I'll enjoy it as much as you will."

His ears had lowered to his head at her mention of blood, but at the mention of her coming to enjoy the act they raised back up again, the look in his eyes becoming optimistic. There was a lot of talk in his world about sex being wifely duty and not something the woman necessarily enjoyed, but the last three years of friendship with Sango and Miroku had already taught him that that at least wasn't always the case, and that the wife could indeed find as much pleasure in the act as her husband, at least when the husband cared and was attentive to her needs. Miroku had talked about it often enough, even when he hadn't wanted him to, and so he knew for a fact that the houshi always made sure Sango enjoyed their time together as much as he did. Plus the few times he'd helped Shippou babysit so that they could have some alone time together after the kids were born the slayer had always seemed just as eager to get away as her husband had. So Inuyasha already knew that it was indeed quite possible for the woman to find enjoyment in the act, and to hear Kagome so assuredly state that she knew for a fact she would enjoy it in that way, herself, that meant she trusted in his ability and desire to bring her said pleasure. She'd just said that she probably wouldn't reach completion from the actual act itself, but that there were 'other' things he could do to help her along, and even though the thought of doing those 'other things' for her had his heart trying to fly right out of his chest, it was a good kind of excitement he felt, at the notion of being the one to cause her such physical bliss.

Not to mention being allowed to touch her in such ways would make some of his _own _fantasies come true.

The look in his eyes must have reflected the splash of masculine pride he felt at her words, because Kagome offered him a small smile in that moment before leaning in to give him a tender peck on the lips, and he immediately responded to the action, kissing her back chastely.

"I just hate the idea of you being in pain, with me being the cause, but I guess you're right." he stated after a moment, trying and failing to sound like he wasn't still worried.

"If you want to lessen my pain, there are things we can do beforehand to better prepare me." she hinted suggestively then, and he blushed again, before adopting a more serious expression of his own.

"With my claws?" he asked disbelievingly, holding up his right hand for emphasis, wiggling his fingers a bit.

Her eyes glanced to his claw-tipped fingers, a look of dawning sparkling in their blue-gray depths as if realizing for the first time that his youkai half _would _make a difference in their relationship, no matter how trivial.

"Well...I'm sure we can come up with _something_." she said after a moment. "If you're very careful it should be okay. I trust you not to hurt me."

"I can't believe we're actually discussing this..." he said more to himself, looking away from her again, his face as red as his fire-rat robes.

"Hey..." she said, getting his attention as she grabbed his hand. "I'm your _wife_ now, and embarrassing or no, we can discuss _anything_, sexual or otherwise. If you can confess to me your notion from four years ago of letting me fall to my death after killing the shibugarasu then discussing marital intimacy should be easy. I know this is new and scary, but you're not the only one who feels that way."

"I know we need to talk about it. That's why...why I brought us out here. It's just hard, okay? You know I ain't no good at discussin' mushy, embarrassing shit. I'm doing my best here."

Kagome accepted that that was true, and decided not to chastise him for calling it 'mushy, embarrassing shit'. He _was _doing his best, and she would do _her _best to be patient with him.

Sighing, Inuyasha looked down at where their hands were joined. It reminded him of all the countless other times Kagome had grabbed his hand, even back during the shard quest, without ever even once showing the slightest trepidation regarding his claws. What she was proposing was _entirely _different than them just holding hands, of course, and far more dangerous in his mind, but it was the thought that counted, and that she would permit him...even though he knew he didn't dare...that she would _permit_ it really meant a lot to him, married or no.

"I...uh..." Clearing his throat, Inuyasha hoped his face wouldn't become a permanent shade of red. "Claws...on the inside...probably aren't a good idea. I know _you _don't fear them, but I would be a nervous wreck." Suddenly feeling a splash of bravado, knowing they were all alone and since she _was _his wife, he then smirked and added, "Especially since I'd make sure you weren't able to hold still."

Kagome's eyes lit up in surprise at his hentai comment, and she chuckled instead of feeling embarrassed.

"Good point." she conceded with a laugh. "Not like you could lie still if I had my hand wrapped around your-"

"Uh..." he interrupted, face darkening anew. "Speaking of, that's...that's another thing that I... I mean...oh fuck this is impossible..."

Releasing her hand and turning away again, hand rubbing down over his face in frustration, Inuyasha resumed pacing in his small circles, looking up at the sky on occasion as if he could find the answer written among the clouds and pluck it down for Kagome to read without him having to say it out loud.

"What? What's another thing?" Kagome asked, sounding more concerned than she'd meant to.

He looked her way, and his ears lowered to his head again.

"I...I really should just tell you, 'cause I sure as hell don't want it to be a surprise. That's the real reason I kept stopping us before, besides the fact that I don't wanna bed you in the dirt like a fucking _dog_. You _do _deserve better than that, and I _am _half human. But I'm also half inu-youkai and I..." He growled, the sound more a groan of frustration, as he looked back up at the sky again. "Damn it, I don't think I can say it. I want to, but I...I can't." He met her eyes again, his own full of shame. "And worse, I want you to be honest with me, but I'm afraid that no matter what you'll say nice things 'cause you don't want to hurt my feelings, and I'll never know how you really feel."

He was proud of himself for admitting at least that much, but he couldn't meet her eyes in that moment, as he turned away from her again, feeling absolutely humiliated. He stopped pacing, but he couldn't look at her either, standing with his back to her. The old him would've probably run off into the trees to be alone by that point, but he was fighting his instinct to flee with every fiber of his being because it wasn't _Kagome _he wanted to run away from, it was this conversation.

"Okay..." Kagome began slowly. "You're really starting to worry me here. What's wrong?"

He didn't answer, and she could see the remorse in his body language as he slouched some at her question, tilting his head back to look up at the sky yet again. She heard his quiet mumble of 'damn it' and knew that whatever the problem was, it was really eating him up inside. Biting her lower lip, Kagome replayed the last few minutes of their conversation in her head, her eyes widening when she thought she found the answer.

"Inuyasha..." she said softly, coming up behind him and gently resting her right hand on his left shoulder. "Are you...self-conscious...about your penis?"

He exhaled, almost in relief she'd say, from her having guessed it so that he didn't have to spell it out for her any more than he already had. Remaining silent, he gave one curt nod, still not meeting her eyes.

A part of Kagome wanted to laugh, only because to her it was such a silly, ungrounded concern, but she knew better. Again, this was Inuyasha they were talking about, and she'd never known him to be shy about any other body part. His ears branded him as a hanyou, but if anybody had issue with them he'd just tell that person to fuck off. But this wasn't about a body part that the whole world saw on a daily basis, she knew. This was about a very private body part that only she, as his wife, would see. And even though if anyone else insulted his ears he'd just tell them to fuck off and be done with it, Kagome knew that if _she _insulted his ears it would hurt him badly, because he loved her and while the rest of the world could kiss his ass _her _opinion of him mattered to him. So this, above all else, was a very sensitive issue, and how she handled it could make or break him; she understood that. It could be a sensitive issue for any man in general, if they were 'different' down there in some way, but even more so for him because of who he was and the life he'd lived. Plus there was that bit he'd said about wanting honesty from her but fearing she'd just say nice things so as not to hurt his feelings. He must _really _be worried. Kagome honestly wondered what his fear actually _was_, because he knew damn well she'd already seen him naked, and now, she'd even felt him through his clothing. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary that she could tell.

Size couldn't be the issue. He most certainly wasn't abnormally small, nor was he ridiculously large to the point where it would _really _hurt her their first time together. Based on her very limited knowledge on the subject, she'd guess he was well above 'average', but not to the point where there couldn't be the rare human man even more 'gifted' than he was. So if his issue wasn't size, which would probably be any other man's issue when it came to such shyness, what was it?

From what she could recall of the one very brief moment in time when she'd actually seen him naked, he'd looked perfectly normal. Or at least, he'd looked like how she'd expected him to look. She could admit that there were several things about his entire person that defied most people's definition of 'normal' but that was part of what made him who he was, and she loved him, plain and simple; nothing else mattered. So breaking it down in that moment, Kagome conjured up the mental image of his naked body she'd forever committed to memory. Being flaccid at the time had made size deceptive, but she now had the answer to _that_ question. He was uncircumcised, of course, but she'd known all along that that would be the case, and that didn't matter to her in the slightest, nor would the thought have even occurred to him that that could possibly be an issue for her because circumcisions just weren't done in the Sengoku jidai. His pubic hair was also white, she knew, which was the thing that had stood out about him the most, but that couldn't possibly be what was bothering him, was it? It had made sense to her at that time to learn that it was white, although thinking about it in that moment she supposed it could have been black since his eyebrows were black, but honestly, she thought the white looked more exotic, anyway. Regardless, he knew she already knew his pubic hair was white, and whatever his issue was, it had to be something he thought she didn't already know about. Kagome very strongly suspected that it was, in reality, a non-issue, but that didn't change the fact that it was a very real concern for her husband in that moment and whatever it was, she would respect his worries and reassure him in a tender, non-teasing fashion.

For Inuyasha's part, he was trying to remain calm but was mentally falling to pieces inside. A part of him was tremendously relieved to have gotten it out there, because springing it on her their first night together was the _last_ thing he wanted to do, but just like any other inevitable event you were dreading having to deal with, the moment of truth was upon him, and he was both anxious for and fearful of her reaction. And she only knew that he _had _a concern; she didn't yet know what that concern actually _was_. The reaction he was waiting for from her in that precise moment was only her response to learning that he feared her reaction to his appearance; she still didn't know what he actually _looked _like, and _that _reaction was the one he was dreading the most. Would she crinkle her nose in disgust? Would she laugh? Would she throw on a fake smile and try to reassure him that everything was fine, all the while making it obvious that everything was _not _fine? In the moments of silence that grew between them after he'd nodded yes to her question, all he could do was close his eyes and wait for the ax to fall.


	16. Getting Busy

Chapter 16 – Getting Busy

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Knowing he was waiting on pins and needles for her response, those pins probably slowly working their way into his heart the longer she remained quiet, Kagome spoke up in that moment.

"Inuyasha...no matter what..." She moved around to stand in front of him and made sure he met her gaze. "No matter _what_, I love you and my opinion of you will _not _change over something like this." She grabbed his hand again. "That being said, are you forgetting that I've already seen you naked?" Her eyes adopted a hint of a playful sparkle as he blushed at her reminder. "If I recall, a certain troublesome hanyou absolutely refused to let me study for my tests one afternoon, and then while trying to keep you occupied my little brother had the ingenious idea of trying to boil you alive."

She chuckled at the memory, and he did too, a little bit.

"Keh, I swear that kid was more fireproof than I am..." He raised his free hand to rub at the back of his head awkwardly and gave her a sheepish grin. "I can't believe I just went barging into your room like that. I wasn't even thinking about being naked, I was just running away from the bath, and your presence felt like safety so I automatically ran to you."

Surprisingly, Kagome adopted a guilty expression at his tender admittance.

"And then I went and threw all my stuff at you and ordered you out. I'm sorry; I was a stupid fifteen-year-old back then, and a naked boy rushing into my bedroom, and one I'd already been crushing on no less, well..."

"I understand. You just always used the beads on me whenever I saw you naked faster than I could start to get all flustered, myself, otherwise you would've seen me turning into as much of a freaked out mess as you became that time."

"I didn't _always _use the beads on you when you saw me naked. Only when I thought you were spying on purpose."

He blushed and looked away again.

"Oh? How many times was I right?" Her merry tone of voice told him she wasn't upset. "It wasn't really seeing me naked that made you all flustered, was it? It was me _catching _you seeing me naked that freaked you out." she added teasingly, matter-of-factly, but still in a tone that revealed she wasn't angry. "I bet you were always nice and calm up until I noticed you were there."

"Umm...as much as I appreciate the change in subject, because believe me, I'd rather think about _you_ naked than _me_ naked, I'd rather get this over with before I completely lose my nerve and rush us back to the village."

"Okay..." Kagome agreed, grateful that he already seemed more relaxed, at least, instead of all tensed up as if afraid that at any moment she'd rip his heart out of his chest and stomp on it. "So I'll admit, I'm drawing a blank here. From what I saw you looked normal, and from what I've _felt_..." She waggled her eyebrows suggestively, and his blush darkened.

"Normal...?" He released her hand, and looked away, that one word holding all the weight she imagined he'd been carrying on his shoulders up until that point. "I'm hardly _normal_. I turn normal one night a month, remember? So I know what normal looks like."

"Since when are you so self-conscious about your inu-youkai half, though?" Kagome asked, legitimately confused, which he could hear in her voice.

"Since my dreams became reality, and I became your husband for real?" he answered with a questioning edge to his tone, shrugging his shoulders helplessly.

"But I thought you were all into being a forest youkai and stuff. I thought you totally accepted yourself for who and what you are now."

"I was...I mean I am, and I do. It's just...well it's different now, with you. _I _accept me, but..."

Kami, he wished he could explain himself better. Fortunately, she still understood him; she just didn't agree. Maybe he needed more than just tender reassurances, after all. He wanted the truth, he'd get it.

"And I accept you, too. Sheesh, I'm beginning to think I should feel offended here rather than just trying to reassure you. I mean come _on_, I accepted you as a hanyou even before _you_ did. And yes, I know..." she added as he opened his mouth to interrupt, "...being your _wife _is way different than just being your friend, and accepting you as a friend is different than accepting all the things that go along with you being my husband. I get that, I do. But weren't you the one telling me it's okay to think of you as a canine, so long as I didn't mind having a dog for a husband?" she reminded. "And what was my response to that? I said we're 'the dog and his wife', remember?"

He sighed, and smiled a little.

"Yeah, I remember. I'd actually said what I'd said kind of on purpose. I'd wanted to hear what you'd say, and...and I really liked what you said."

She smiled then.

"And I meant it, you know. Just 'cause I don't think of you as my inugami, I'm perfectly aware of the fact that you're half canine, and that you see yourself as such. Did you know that your nose is even wet and cold like a dog's nose? I can feel it when we kiss, especially when you kiss my neck, and also when you nuzzle my neck at night, but it doesn't bother me."

His eyes widened a bit at that, and he raised the back of his hand up to touch his nose.

"I...I'd completely forgotten about that. I'm sorry."

She waved off his concern.

"See, there you go again. I don't _care_, all right? Even if you had a dog's _tongue _I'd still want to kiss you 'cause you're my _husband_. I understand, I do, why you're worried all of a sudden now that we're married, when before, when we were just friends, it wasn't as important. There wasn't any sexual intimacy between us when we were just friends, and so you're worried that I just _think _I accept everything about you but I'll realize I've bitten off more than I can chew."

He nodded, the look in his eyes telling her that that was it, exactly. He didn't doubt her acceptance of him as a friend, her lack of prejudice, but being _intimate _with him was different, or at least, he feared that it would be.

"How about when I was rubbing your ears?" Kagome asked him then. "Do you think I'd have done that if I was bothered by your inu half in any way?"

"Keh, you always have liked my ears, weirdo." he kidded good-naturedly.

Suddenly, she looked worried.

"It...it doesn't bother you when I rub them like that, right?"

He snorted.

"You kidding? Have you got any idea how sensitive my ears are? The only thing about you rubbing them that bothers me is that it makes me wish you were rubbing somethin' _else_. That's why I never liked you touchin' 'em before. Now that we're married you can play with my ears as much as you want."

She chuckled a little at that.

"Okay, good." She nodded. "So help me out here. What are you worried about? I already know your 'down there' hair is as white as the hair on your head, like that really matters to me. It's not like your shaft is within a sheath that runs up along your belly like on actual dogs, and guess what, even if it _did _I'd _still _not care. I just mean, I don't see what the big deal is that you're so worried about my reaction in the first place. What am I missing?"

He just stared at her, mouth open, completely in shock.

"You... Even if I were _that _different from a human man, you _still _wouldn't mind it?"

She just grinned, and bounced on her heels a bit, tucking her hands playfully behind her back as she twirled her body a bit from side to side like a younger girl might do.

"Nope! Wouldn't bother me in the slightest."

It was beyond obvious to him that she was being completely honest, and he exhaled slowly as her words fully sank in. Adopting a huge grin that revealed his fangs, he shook his head, both amazed and amused.

He then pulled Kagome into a quick, fierce kiss, that was over almost as quickly as it'd started and was _anything _but chaste.

Pulling back, he said, "This has got to be the single most embarrassing day of all time, but you've just made me so fucking happy right now that I don't even care anymore."

She laughed, not in mockery in any way, the sound coming from her own happiness that whatever his fear had specifically been about, she'd already alleviated it. She also decided to make him feel a little bit better in the embarrassment department by reminding him that today wasn't necessarily the champion of all humiliations, after all.

"I don't know about today being the _most _embarrassing day _ever_. Remember when I had my first monthly blood during the shard quest, and Shippou-chan completely freaked out on us?"

He laughed instead of feeling embarrassed again at the reminder of _that_ day, having had nearly an entire year of traveling with first one and then _two _women to get used to it by that point. Besides, it wasn't as if he hadn't already been aware that human women experienced such things. He'd smelt it on his own mother originally, and terrified, he'd been nearly hysterical until she'd had no choice but to explain it to him at a much younger age than any other boy learned of such things. He had been politely ignoring it that night in question during the shard hunt, knowing that Kagome wasn't injured, his nose more than strong enough to tell the difference, but young Shippou, who'd never been around human women before, hadn't had a clue. He'd woken up in the middle of the night frantically exclaiming that Kagome was bleeding, and Kagome, not even having realized yet at that time just _how _good youkai noses actually were, had been _beyond _mortified to be jolted awake by such an announcement.

"I'm surprised you didn't _osuwari _me when our eyes locked and you knew I knew." he said, his tone of voice lighthearted.

She sighed, a bit of a chuckle escaping as well.

"I probably would have if you'd said the wrong thing right then. Grabbing Shippou-chan and running off into the shadows was a smart move."

"Keh, it might not have seemed like it back then, but I did have _some _smarts."

She grinned, and then adopted a more serious look.

"I'm glad I've put your mind to ease, but I gotta say, I'm totally curious now." she said conversationally, and he knew exactly what she was talking about. "Can you tell me now, now that you know it won't bother me, just what, exactly, you were worried about? The only thing I can think of is that your pubic hair is white, but you should've known I already knew that."

"Keh, even from just how you keep sayin' it, I know you didn't really get a good enough look, plus I was wet at the time, which made it harder to tell." At her expectant look he elaborated. "Let's just say it ain't exactly 'hair'." he explained, knowing now that what she'd said before was completely true, meaning he now knew he had nothing to worry about, even when he told her the rest of it. One part at a time, though.

It took zero pondering time for Kagome to realize what he obviously had to mean by saying his hair wasn't hair, and she reached up to gently tweak one of his ears in response.

"Fur?" she asked, and he nodded.

"Mmmm...softer for running my fingers through it."

He coughed/laughed at her words, heat returning to his cheeks.

"Uh...and that's not all." he finally managed to admit, although he didn't appear to be in any hurry to elaborate as he blushed darker and averted his gaze.

Kagome's eyes adopted a wicked playfulness.

"If you can't say it, you could just _show _me." she suggested, both joking and serious at the same time. She was only teasing, but if he was really willing then so was she.

She was willing to do _more _than just look, but she knew that'd probably be pushing it and she would not break her silent promise of not pushing him into something he wasn't ready for yet. That being said, she wasn't going to stand idly by and just assume she knew what he was and wasn't ready for. All he'd ever stated with finality was that he wanted their first time having sex to be indoors, and she respected that. She did. That still left plenty of wiggle room for them to do some of those _other _things in the meantime.

Mind made up, she closed the gap between them.

Inuyasha, having blushed even darker at her comment of him just _showing _her, never once meeting her eyes, had not yet given her an answer when Kagome decided that a little nudge wasn't the same thing as a full-blown push. She'd back off immediately if he asked her to, but he would have to _ask_.

Putting herself in his line of vision, then, she smiled at him, reaching up immediately to fondle his left ear again since she now knew how much he actually enjoyed it. He looked unsure for a brief moment, but then closed his eyes, a soft moan escaping his lips as he tilted his head slightly into her touch, deciding to just enjoy this moment and not let his worries ruin it. His arms, which he'd crossed at one point, unfolded to hang at his sides before he then bravely rested his hands on her hips, neither pushing her away nor pulling her in closer.

Stretching herself up on her tiptoes, Kagome whispered seductively against the side of his mouth, "You need to stop worrying so much, and just focus on this truth. You are the man that I love, and I am your wife."

That said, she tugged on his ear ever so gently to encourage him to lower his face enough for her to kiss him, and he wordlessly complied, and her left hand, instead of going immediately for her ultimate destination, wrapped around his body to clutch the fabric at his lower back.

It didn't take long for the kiss to cause the smoldering embers in his blood to reignite into blazing flame, and he growled possessively in the back of his throat as his grip on her hips tightened.

Inuyasha had been debating her request, warring with himself, caught somewhere in between absolute mortified panic and logical reasoning. As more and more blood vacated his brain, however, it was becoming harder to remember why he'd even hesitated in the slightest, except now he had a new growing fear. More than one thing was _growing _in that moment and it was no longer her appraisal of his body that he feared the most but if he would be able to stop himself if she actually got him undressed.

Yet, even as that concern came to mind as he continued to kiss her, it fled just as rapidly, replaced with thoughts of how wonderful she both smelled and tasted. Then her lips were leaving his, and he instinctively tried to follow them, bending his head lower. She turned her head slightly and he caught the side of her face, but that was all right with him as he immediately began leaving heated, open-mouthed kisses on her cheek, along her jaw, and then down the side of her throat. Kagome tilted her head back and moaned, and his grip on her hips tightened even more, as he pulled her close, flush against his body.

Feeling that part of his body pressed against hers reminded Kagome of what she'd been trying to accomplish, but in that moment she was too busy _feeling_ to be in that much of a hurry. Still, she knew she shouldn't dawdle. With her right arm growing sore from being raised for so long she released his left ear, but just as quickly raised her left hand up to his right ear, and he immediately tilted his head to the other side to grant her better access, shifting his own attentions from the right side of her throat to her left as she tilted her own head the other way to better accommodate him as well. Her right hand she then used to snake in between their bodies, keeping it outside of his hakama initially as she palmed him. He growled louder, and pulled her in even closer, making it hard for her hand to work, although she didn't think he'd done it on purpose as a means of stopping her. Not if the way he was rocking against her had anything to say about it.

_Guess I was wrong about his length not running up along his belly_... she thought, mentally snickering, since she knew it was only because of his constricting fundoshi. _That can't be comfortable_...

Turning her head back to recapture his mouth with her own, Inuyasha eagerly resumed kissing her, and then Kagome suddenly yanked her hand out from between their bodies and just as quickly plunged it back in through the side slit of his hakama. He stilled all movement, but didn't push her back, and going for broke, Kagome found the edge of his fundoshi and managed to get her hand inside that as well.

His reaction to her touch was instantaneous. He gasped and shuddered, moaning loudly with a breathy exhale, breaking away from the frozen kiss to rest his forehead against her left shoulder as he shivered, legs shaking, his hands at her hips clutching fistfuls of fabric in an effort to keep himself grounded. Releasing his right ear she rested her left hand gently on the back of his head, and slowly began moving her right a little faster; she could feel his entire body shake, his breath coming in heavy puffs. After a moment he reached over with his left hand and grabbed her arm, stilling her movements, although he didn't try to pull her hand out of his pants.

"Ka...Kagome...I..." She squeezed gently. "Oh _kami_..."

He whimpered, the sound distinctly canine, and Kagome stopped all movement, though she also didn't release him.

"Inuyasha...?" she murmured quietly, the unasked question registering loud and clear.

Prying his head off her shoulder and meeting her eyes, the look in his own was not one she had been expecting. She'd just never seem him in the throes of pleasure before. It was a look she planned on seeing _much _more of throughout their lives together. In that moment, however, seeing that look of vulnerability in his eyes for the very first time, Kagome did the only thing she could think of and placed her left hand over his right, where he still clutched a fistful of her hakama at her left hip. A part of her was tempted to guide his hand into the side slit of her own pants so that they could pleasure each other at the same time, but she quickly realized that would probably be too much for him in that moment, and she did not want him to chicken out. This moment in time, it was about him; her own pleasure could wait. Besides, seeing that expression on his face was quite pleasurable for her in its own right. She'd never loved him as much as she did in that moment.

Slowly, she began moving her hand again, and he closed his eyes as his body shuddered, his left hand moving from her arm back to her right hip in an attempt to steady himself. She got the feeling that if she seriously started working him it would be all over before it began. He already seemed on the verge of exploding from what she could tell, and she was barely even moving her hand at all.

"Kagome...?" he murmured again, suddenly so like an unsure child it made her heart ache with how much she loved him.

She stilled her hand again.

"I know you do not want to consummate our marriage in the forest, and I promise you I will not disregard that desire and get you to do anything you'll later regret. It's a matter of honor for you, and I understand that. Let yourself go, Inuyasha, and I promise I won't let things go too far. I'll keep my clothes on. There's nothing to worry about. This moment is about _you_. Let me pleasure you. That's all I want."

She could see from the look in his eyes that he was considering her words, and she did not play dirty by starting up her ministrations again before he'd reached his decision.

Inuyasha weighed her words, knowing she would keep her promise, and even more importantly than that, his body was wound so tight that even if he told her to stop he'd have to rush off to finish the job himself. No cool dip in the river would put out _this _fire. He was already so close, just from her gentle, almost teasing touches. He wanted to finish so badly. And it most certainly wasn't as if he was using Kagome in any way, he realized; this whole thing was _her _idea and he knew she wanted to see what he looked like after he'd alluded to his inhumanity 'down there'. More importantly, he wanted her to see it, to get that final step over and done with. And even _more _importantly, he wanted to finish, damn it! So if she was willing to do this for him without asking anything of him in return, allowing them each to maintain their mutual virginity, then he knew he would not only be a fool to refuse her, but a masochist, as well. All he was worried about was changing his mind in the heat of the moment, taking her, and then later regretting it, but with her promise that she wouldn't let them, and that she'd remain dressed, he realized in that moment that he was completely out of excuses. And what's more, in that moment, with her hand still wrapped snugly around him, he abruptly realized he didn't even _want _an excuse why they had to stop. He didn't want to stop. He wanted her to move that hand, damn it!

Kagome had her answer when she suddenly found Inuyasha's lips covering her own, as he devoured her hungrily, and she immediately returned the kiss while also resuming her hand's ministrations. He groaned and whimpered, his legs shaking, both of his hands clutching her hips desperately, her left hand still offering moral support where it rested over his right. After a moment's time, pulling back from the kiss, he released her right hip with his left hand and used it to still her own again, only temporarily. She gave him a questioning look.

"You said you wanted to see it, didn't you? Besides, I don't want to have to clean my fundoshi."

That said, he pulled the sheathed Tessaiga from his obi and laid it gently on the ground. Kagome followed suit, releasing him for the time being in order remove her bow and quiver from her back so she would not be hindered by their presence.

Inuyasha then made quick work of the ties holding his hakama in place. He feared his face would be a permanent shade of fire-rat red, and he couldn't quite meet Kagome's eyes at the moment, but nevertheless he continued in his task until he had his trousers almost completely undone.

Realizing his hakama were almost completely untied and that just one tiny pull on the final knot was all it'd take to have them dropping to his feet, Kagome smirked. Reaching for the tie herself, she gripped it firmly, seeking out his eyes, and his only response was a silent nod of approval, his blush never fading. She offered him a loving smile in return, more genuine than her previous smirk, and tugged. In a _swoosh _of fabric the hakama dropped fully to his feet. Nothing was immediately exposed to her gaze, of course, his suikan and kosode both still tied in place, but she made quick work of the primitive obi knots and soon enough had both robes splayed open, hanging loosely at his sides, revealing a bare chest and bulging fundoshi.

Dropping to her knees before her husband, his eyes widened at the erotic sight as she smirked up at him. Picking up his discarded leather pouch from where it'd fallen and tossing it gently towards his sword, Kagome then turned back and focused on her prize, the look in her eyes determined. It took her a couple minutes of fiddling, but soon enough she figured out where the fold in the fabric was on his fundoshi and she immediately began unwrapping him. He closed his eyes and held his breath, his hands unconsciously tightening into fists at his sides. This was it.

Freeing him, his manhood stood proudly at full attention, and Kagome had to bite the inside of her cheek to keep from snickering.

_That _was what he'd been worried about?

Although granted, she was mentally kicking herself for not having thought of it as a possibility and guessing it aloud earlier during their discussion. He _was _half dog, after all.

"You're beautiful, Inuyasha. Dark pink is my favorite color." she stated with an openly amused edge to her voice.

At least his actual shape was entirely human, although she'd meant what she'd said earlier; she would've been fine with it no matter _what_. This was Inuyasha; that was all that mattered.

He opened his eyes and looked down at her at her words, looked at her staring at his two-tone member, and suddenly, the contrast between flesh color and very distinctly _canine _pink was the farthest thing from his mind.

"Are you gonna touch it or what, wench? I'm gonna turn _blue _before much longer!" he laughed in return.

Chuckling, Kagome unhesitatingly reached for him, and he tilted his head back and moaned loudly, his hips rocking back and forth. A part of her was tempted to use her mouth, but another part of her wanted to save that experience as an upgrade for later, and besides, even she could admit that the idea was a little new and scary. This was her very first time touching a man _there_, after all. She could just stick with using her hand for this first time around. Besides, as she glanced up at the rest of her husband he certainly didn't seem to have any complaints, head tilted back, eyes closed in bliss. To remove the temptation, she stood back up in that moment, releasing him for only a couple of seconds as she moved around to stand semi-behind him off to his right, her right hand immediately back where it was while she wrapped her left arm around his back, her left hand resting on his left hip. It was a much better angle. As she worked, he lolled his head in her direction and met her lips with a hungry kiss, his left hand coming to rest on top of her own, threading their fingers together, as his right hand made its way over to her right ass cheek, gripping firmly.

Breaking out of the kiss after a moment, Kagome asked him quietly, "Is this okay?"

He opened his eyes to stare at her incredulously.

"O-ok-kay? F-_fuck _yeah...it's okay." He could barely even talk, she was doing so 'okay'.

Kagome blushed at the obvious compliment, but then said, "Just tell me if...if you want me to do something differently. I don't really know what I'm doing here."

"Coulda fooled me..." he rasped, before conceding, "You...you could go a little faster."

She immediately complied.

"MMMmmmmaaaahhhh.." he moaned in appreciation, head tilted back again, eyes pinched shut in bliss as his legs shook.

It was such a surreal experience for the hanyou, to realize with a lucid clarity that it was _Kagome's _hand making him feel this way. He vaguely remembered her making a comment about his coloring, but at that moment there wasn't enough blood left in his brain for him to remember what that comment had been or care either way. She couldn't be disgusted with him, she was _touching _him, and doing a damn good job of it too, he might add. It'd been less than two minutes, and already he could feel the pressure building, those little wisps of telltale tingles traveling up his spine that alerted him to the fact that he couldn't last much longer.

"K-Kagome, I...I'm gonna..." he said breathlessly.

"Yeah...that's what I want. Let it happen." she said seductively, her naughty words pushing him over the edge.

He gasped, his entire body locking tight, and then he groaned quite loudly, a sound not unlike those he'd made when getting severely hurt in battle. But Kagome knew better, the evidence of his pleasure a visible thing. Finally, she stopped what she was doing.

Feeling her release him, it took Inuyasha a few more seconds to remember how to breathe, and then when he finally realized he'd wound up leaning a good amount of his body weight on her he stood back up straighter, letting go of her ass as he finally braved meeting her eyes again. Or at least tried to; she was currently distracted. He grinned at the sight. She looked so adorable the way she was staring at her messy hand; her expression looked like she was trying to problem solve, since they hadn't brought any of their usual traveling supplies with them on this run. She wasn't looking at her hand with disgust, but it was clear she was trying to figure out what to do. Chuckling then, he reached out and grabbed her hand before she gave in and wiped it off on her clothes. They should show _some _respect for her miko robes, after all, married or no.

Kagome jumped the tiniest bit in distracted surprise as he grabbed her hand, and she immediately turned her eyes to meet his own, offering him a warm, tender smile. He smiled back, and then brought her hand up between them, the hand that had just brought him unbelievable pleasure.

"Thank you." he said sincerely, no hint of perverted teasing in his voice, and then he raised her hand to his mouth and began licking it clean.

She stared in surprise, but quickly realized this was again one of his canine differences, realizing it made sense for him to do this even if most other men, or at least heterosexual men, would feel disgusted by the concept. _She _certainly wasn't bothered by it. Truth be told, not wanting to soil her miko clothing, Kagome had been reaching the same conclusion. She was going to do it, herself. After all, she did _eventually _plan on taking that next step, so she'd been trying to psych herself up. He'd just beaten her to it, not that she minded.

Once her hand was clean, there was a bit of a delayed reaction but they both finally realized that they were both just standing there with him still for all intents and purposes completely naked. Robes open, pants around his feet, fundoshi discarded on the ground beside him, he blushed, but not as intensely as he had some previous times during some of their conversation.

"I, uh..." He cleared his throat nervously. "I guess you've gotten a good enough look now, huh?"

He and Kagome both chuckled at his words, and when he moved to close his kosode she didn't stop him, although she quickly snaked her hand back underneath the robe, touching what she could no longer see.

"I've gotten a good enough look, but not a good enough _feel_." she answered, and he closed his eyes and sighed softly as she tenderly ran her fingers through the fur they'd discussed earlier. "I was right, nice and soft."

He somehow managed to open his eyes back up and meet her gaze, his look stone cold serious.

"Unless you want a repeat, you better knock that off. Youkai stamina, remember? I can cool off after a single go if I let myself, but with you playing like that you'll get me fired back up again in no time."

She knew he was telling the truth.

"Duly noted." she stated in answer, pulling her hand away. "I could do that all night, myself, and somehow, I don't think you'd complain..." He laughed. "...but right now I think you owe me one, and since I promised I'd keep my clothes on that means I'll have to collect at a later time. Unless you want to build up a huge debt I suggest you pay in full at your earliest opportunity, 'cause I don't honestly think I can keep my hands to myself for very long."

He knew she was just joking around, but he also knew she was serious. Hooking his sagemono through the belt of his kosode before fastening his suikan and then pulling up his hakama and fastening them as well, just shoving his fundoshi into his robes for the time being, it was with a heavy, contemplative look as he ran Tessaiga through his obi that he finally answered her.

"Kagome I...I _want _to repay you. Believe me, that's one of my _major _fantasies. But I...I just don't know if I can trust myself. If I get you...like that...I know I'll want to mate with you."

"And that would be a bad thing because...?" she asked, feeling exasperated at this point. "You no longer have anything to fear with regard to my reaction to your appearance. I _know _that's the biggest thing that'd been holding you back before, and now that it's been explained to me, I totally understand that. I understand why you were worried. But now that you know it isn't an issue, that your slightly inhuman characteristics don't bother me in the slightest, I gotta say, you're running out of excuses."

He had the good grace to look embarrassed at that.

"Yeah, I know..." he replied sheepishly. "I'll...I'll think about it, okay? I _still _don't like the idea of...of us doing _that _out in the forest. At least not for our first time. I'd feel like I failed you. I feel like...like it's bad enough you have to put up with a husband who's half dog. The least I can do is treat you-"

"Like the human woman I am, yeah." she interrupted, having heard this speech once before already. She sighed. "The kami know I can't get you to change your mind when it becomes a matter of honor in your head, but you'd better think of something, Inuyasha, because I don't like the idea of waiting a whole freakin' month to be with my husband, especially when other _fully human_ couples sneak off into the forest all the time. It isn't _animal like_, it's what young people in love and without privacy _do_, but if you've got a stick up your ass about needing to overcompensate for your youkai blood then fine, whatever."

_Jeeze, Kagome, bitter much? _she scolded herself as soon as her little speech was over, visibly cringing at how bitchy she knew she'd just sounded.

Turning back to look at her husband, her heart melted at his whipped puppy expression, his ears droopy, eyes shocked. Damn...way to ruin the romantic atmosphere. If she'd had ears like his, they would've drooped as well.

"I'm sorry..." she apologized sincerely, coming up to him and pulling him into a tender hug that he automatically returned. "I didn't mean to snap at you, I'm just horny and frustrated." she added, laughing at herself because it was the truth.

He chuckled a little at that, although her brief bout of anger still bothered him. He knew he was being unfair to her. Burying his nose in her hair, meaning to take in her scent to calm himself in his upset, Inuyasha was hit with a blast of just how aroused Kagome actually was, and the realization shocked him. How was she not ripping his clothes back off? No wonder she'd gotten a little crabby; he knew _he _couldn't maintain that level of self control without taking it out on everyone around him. Hell, that was one of the reasons why he'd been so dicky to her so many times back during the shard quest. He'd confess that part to her later, though. Realizing her predicament was entirely his fault, he decided to man up in that moment.

"So long as you still promise to keep your clothes on..." he hinted suggestively, pulling back from the embrace to meet her eyes with a serious yet playful look in his own.

"Inuyasha?" Kagome questioned, not daring to risk misunderstanding him.

"May I?" he asked her then, reaching up with his right hand to gently cup her left hip, his fingertips ghosting playfully within the open side slit of her own hakama.

Realization dawned in Kagome's eyes, and she smiled playfully in return as he smirked at her.

"Yes, you may."


	17. Do unto others

Chapter 17 – Do unto others as you would have them do to you

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His heart was thundering loudly in his ears as she gave him her permission to touch her, and nervous but determined, Inuyasha silently vowed not to screw this up.

Thanks to Miroku's love of sharing the details of his exploits, even when asked not to, the hanyou was well aware that he could relieve his wife's 'frustration' without tempting himself too badly by the sight of her naked body. Standing directly in front of Kagome, his left hand resting gently on her right side, Inuyasha slowly, as if afraid she'd change her mind and yell at him to stop at any moment, wormed his right hand into the left side slit of her hakama, snaking it below the folds of her robes to find her panty-clad womanhood. He was not surprised by the covering, remembering the futuristic garment well.

He gulped nervously, and then staying on the outside of her panties for a moment, he was super conscientious of the fact that he could nick the inside of her upper thighs with a claw if he got too carried away. True, his claws weren't as sharp as his fangs, and they definitely weren't like a cat's claws, but they were still sharper than a mortal canine's talons; they still warranted the use of caution.

He watched her face in wonder as she stared at him, her expression slowly but surely morphing into a look of pure pleasure as her eyes lost their focus. Her right hand reached up and latched onto his left arm, Kagome using her hand on his arm to steady herself like a handlebar as she suddenly found her legs a bit on the shaky side.

_This is a pleasant turn of events_... she thought hazily, before closing her eyes in bliss, her head tilting back.

Carefully, slowly, he worked his fingers underneath the fabric of her panties, and for the briefest of moments he stopped breathing, glancing down to where his hand disappeared into the side of her pants as if he couldn't believe this was actually happening, that he was actually touching her _there_. His own arousal, which had started to fade some, immediately flared back to life with a vengeance, but he dutifully ignored it. He'd had his turn already; this moment was about _her_.

Going off of the memory of a three year old conversation, he followed Miroku's (at the time unwanted) instructions. For once in his life, Inuyasha was actually grateful the letch had never once shut up in all of the times he'd told him to.

Kagome was only momentarily surprised by his knowledgeable move until she realized he'd had plenty of time to learn a few things at least through hearsay, especially considering who his closest male friend was, and more importantly in that moment, Kagome decided that she didn't really _care _how he knew what he knew as she quickly resolved to stop thinking and just enjoy it.

Inuyasha was in sensory overload, and he didn't even mind that he couldn't actually see what he was doing because he _could _see all of the varying expressions that flittered across Kagome's face, and that was good enough for him. He could most definitely feel what he was doing, plus he could _smell _what he was doing, or rather, what what he was doing was doing to her. And all of the very interesting and unusual little sounds Kagome was making had his body burning with renewed desire. She was right, he needed to think of something. His main reason for holding back had been his fear; they both knew it, and now, to keep denying her was starting to make him feel like an even bigger failure than if he actually gave in to his carnal desires and ravished her on the forest floor. He'd come up with a solution that'd satisfy them both – in more ways than one – but for the time being he wasn't going to worry about it and instead just focus on the matter at hand, pun intended.

Feeling around, he knew he had her permission to do that one thing, but he was still apprehensive about his claws and so he decided in that moment that he'd better not. Besides, from what Miroku had told him, doing _that_ wasn't even required, anyway. Not for his current purpose, at least. Concentrating then on the spot that made her jump and quiver every time he touched it, Inuyasha took Miroku's advice and focused all of his attention on how she responded to his various touches. He experimented, changing up his routine, gauging her reaction to what he did _very _carefully. Every woman was different, Miroku had told him, explaining that he couldn't actually give precise instructions because what worked best for one woman wouldn't work at all for another. The instructions the monk had given him were to let the woman's own reactions articulate what worked best for her.

At the time Inuyasha hadn't really understood. Men weren't that complicated. How could a woman be that different? But now he understood, and he also understood why lesser men didn't even bother trying to pleasure their women. They were either unaware or simply uncaring of their woman's needs and desires. That would _not _be him. He was _very _aware of Kagome's needs and wants; she'd told him boldly to his face what she wanted and that was one of the things he loved about her. And _because _he loved her, he would master this, no matter how much of a chore other men might think it was. For him, he was getting lost in all of the little sounds she kept making, in all of the little expressions that kept flashing across her face. Some of the expressions though, he quickly noted, appeared to be of frustration. That wouldn't do.

"Tell me what you want, Kagome." he said then, his voice husky. "Tell me. I want to do this right."

"Mmmaahhh, Inuyasha..." Kagome moaned at his words, loving what he was doing, but needing more all the same. She opened her eyes and met his gaze.

"I need to feel..." _you inside me_, she finished in her mind, although she managed to stop herself from saying that last part out loud. "Please...I need..."

She shook her head and bit her lower lip, deciding she couldn't voice it aloud, but she would still help him. Releasing his left arm for a moment and reaching inside the right side slit of her hakama with her right hand, she grabbed his and guided his movements for a moment, until he got the hang of it.

"Just like that..." she said breathlessly, grabbing his arm again as she widened her stance a little bit more.

He nodded his understanding, even though her eyes were already closed again.

Watching again all of the various expressions that flashed across her face, he smirked. He could do this all day. He wasn't going to be able to, though.

"Oh k-kami...don-don't stop..." she managed to rasp, her grip on his arm tightening.

Emboldened by her words, he didn't go faster or slower or change _anything _from the moment she uttered her strained command not to stop. Already, her breathing was ragged, and her eyes that had been pinched shut suddenly flew open to meet his gaze, her right hand on his left arm holding him in a white-knuckled grip.

She'd never looked more beautiful.

Deciding to get a bit wicked, he repeated her earlier words, his tone dripping with seduction.

"Yeah...that's what I want. Let it happen."

Immediately, it hit her, and her eyes were closed again, most of her weight leaning against his left arm as she gasped and moaned and convulsed and almost _screamed_, biting her lower lip to keep the sounds as muffled as possible. Not sure how long he was supposed to keep going he figured she'd tell him to stop when it got to be too much and so he kept at it until she did just that, her left hand bolting up from where it'd been clutching her pant leg to grab his right arm and tug it out of her hakama while she simultaneously rasped in a desperate tone, "No more!"

Panting, face flushed, Kagome blinked her eyes open and met his gaze with something akin to wonder in her own, and it dawned on him in that moment that she was just as astounded for him to have touched her like that as he was for having touched her. Sure, they were married now, but it was still the first time either of them had ever done anything like that before. It was the first of many, _many _times to come. Suddenly feeling a bit braver, Inuyasha offered his wife a confident smirk, and her eyes opened wider at the sight of him bringing his fingers up to his mouth and slowly licking them clean. The look in his eyes smoldered as he locked gazes with her, and it was the most erotic sight she'd ever seen.

"Mmmm...I always knew you'd taste even better than you smelled." he purred huskily, and her body tingled at his words.

"I...I think...we'd better get back to Kaede-baa-chan's before I say to hell with you not wanting to do it in the woods." Kagome answered, but with an amused quirk to her lips, letting him know she was mostly just teasing. He chuckled deeply in response.

"I think I'm about ready to say to hell with it, myself." he admitted then, the tent in his hakama quite noticeable as the look in his eyes shifted from playful to apologetic.

"The truth is," he admitted then, "I was holding back before for a whole bunch of reasons. I'd been worried that I won't satisfy you, I'm _still_ worried that I'll hurt you...but my main fear was that you'd get weird when you saw what I looked like. That was what'd made me stop us before when we got into it, that fear."

Her eyes shown with love, both surprised and pleased that he was actually opening up to her like this. Wordlessly, she merely nodded her understanding and let him continue, not about to interrupt if he was ready to spill his guts. She dutifully ignored his obvious arousal, meeting his eyes as he continued.

"I know humans do it in the woods," he stated then, "but it still seems kinda animal-like to me, since I _live _in the forest 'cause I'm a _dog_, in part at least, not living in a house like a human would. We're getting a house built now 'cause _you're _human, and I want to give you everything you deserve, and yeah, I got it in my head that among all the things you deserve, you deserve to make love to your husband indoors, in bed, like a normal human couple. But we both know I ain't a normal human, and for all we know, maybe that story about the dog and his wife really _is _about us."

He smiled at the thought.

"So if you're willing to accept having an inu-hanyou husband, I guess I need to accept _being _your inu-hanyou husband, and stop worrying so much about going out of my way to do things the human way where you're concerned. It makes sense that sex in the woods would be one more thing that goes along with all that. I just...I still just feel bad, like it's a failure on my part. I failed you."

She did open her mouth to interrupt at that, but he raised a hand to silence her.

"I _know _you don't mind, I know it's just in my head, but damn it, it was a gift I wanted to give you, a human wife's first time with her husband, and if I'd have just let Miroku talk me into having a house built three years ago then I'd _have _a house now, so it's my fault. Still, it wouldn't be the house we're getting built _now_, so yeah, everything definitely happens for a reason."

He smiled again, shaking his head a little.

"I just...I just I wish that I had a house for you already ready to go, at least for our first time. I get you not wanting to wait a whole month, though, I do. It doesn't have to be _our _house; just being indoors would be enough, so we're not out in the open, in the dirt. If there was an abandoned hut somewhere that I knew of I'd take you there in a heart beat, but the only thing I can think of is that old temple and it's literally falling apart. Give me another day or two to get rid of the guilt, 'cause if we're gonna do this, I want to enjoy it without feeling guilty, and then I'll take you to that hot spring, all right? After today, there's no way I can wait a whole month, either. I want you so fucking badly."

She smiled warmly up at him, and looped her arms around his neck.

"The hot spring sounds lovely." she said, pulling him down to meet her halfway in a kiss as she stood up on her toes, and he immediately complied, gripping her sides gently as he kissed her tenderly.

After they broke apart, Kagome's feet back flat on the ground, he leaned over her and rested his forehead against her own, his eyes closed.

"If the new moon weren't still ten days away I'd say that maybe we could get a room at an inn for my human night. I _really _don't like the idea of staying at an inn as a hanyou. My senses, plus how they'd probably feel about us...I'd be a distracted, nervous wreck. As a human it'd probably be all right, but I ain't gonna ask ya to hold out ten more days because honestly, I don't think Ican wait even _that_ long, not anymore."

Kagome laughed at that, and jokingly said, "Mission accomplished."

He just shook his head in amusement and laughed a little as well. As he reached down to fiddle with his robes Kagome noticed his arousal was no longer noticeable, and she wasn't quite sure if she felt relieved for him or disappointed for herself. She would've been willing to help him if the problem wouldn't go away, but shaking her own head a little in that moment to stay focused on the conversation at hand, she decided to speak up in order to distract herself from staring at his crotch.

"I suppose we could still get a room on the new moon," she said then, meeting his eyes, "although on the other hand it's still true that it'd probably be better to save our money. A hot spring sounds absolutely perfect to me, and then we don't need to worry about the inn. We can just spend your human night with Kaede-baa-chan like you've been doing."

"I guess in the end it _is _better not to waste the money, yeah." he agreed. "I definitely want to be able to buy us whatever we'll need for our house, whatever we can't get from one of the local villagers."

"A hot spring is free," Kagome agreed with a nod, adding, "and if I know the one you're thinking of, _very _private."

There was a hot spring probably a couple of hours away as the hanyou flies that she remembered quite vividly from their shard hunt days. They'd stopped there more than once on their way back to Kaede's village to ease sore, achy muscles. In fact, it was one of the hot springs Kagome had utilized during her fantasies of sending Sango back to camp without her and Inuyasha joining her in the water. It looked like they might be able to start acting out at least some of her fantasies much sooner than originally anticipated. This particular hot spring, even though if her mental calculations were right it wouldn't take the two of them _that _long to reach it at his top speed, she recalled that it'd taken a little over two days to reach Kaede's after their detour there when traveling on foot. It was much, _much _too far away, from theirs or any other village, for any local people to make use of it. It was a good two hours' walk by human standards just to reach its hiding spot in the hills away from the beaten path that most travelers used, and it'd only been thanks to her husband's sense of smell that they'd known of its existence in the first place.

"Yeah, that's the one." he told her then, to let her know she was indeed thinking of the right place.

Smiling, Kagome donned her bow and arrows, adjusting the strap of her borrowed quiver before teasingly admitting, "I've had many a steamy daydream in that hot spring."

His response surprised her.

"Me too."

At her quizzical look, he blushed lightly and glanced away.

"Most of mine're...from over the last three years, and I was thinkin' 'bout the possible future, not beatin' myself up over missed opportunities."

"Ah, happy reunion fantasies. I've had my share of those, too." she commented, not poking fun in the slightest. "When you hoisted me out of that well for real, I actually had to stop myself from kissing you."

He looked back her way at that, eyes wide.

"Me too..." he repeated, his lips quirking up in a half smirk. "Damn, if only one of us had had the balls to actually give in, we coulda spared a lot of heartache."

Thinking about it a moment, his voice dropped some, becoming softer, as he cupped his wife's left cheek with his right hand and said, "Although, after what I'd put you through for a little while back in the beginning, I guess I deserved it."

She raised her left hand up and placed it over his right, holding his hand against her cheek.

"I understood, or at least I did eventually. I knew you loved me, but that Kikyou was still important to you as well. It was our need to complete the jewel and kill Naraku that prevented anything from happening between us, I think, more than anything else. We'd both known we needed to wait, just like Sango-chan and Miroku-sama had also known their happily ever after had to wait. They'd just discussed things a little more openly than we did."

"Feh, like I was gonna grab your ass and ask you to bear my child." Inuyasha snorted, earning a laugh from the miko.

"I suppose not, no," she agreed with a chuckle, adding, "but now you can grab my ass as much as you want, and children will definitely be a part of it when nature deems it's right."

At that, Inuyasha waggled his eyebrows, and removed his hand from her cheek and lowered it to...her cheek.

"I think I might finally understand what the bouzu's been obsessing over all this time." he said with a smirk, giving her ass a little squeeze as he pulled her closer.

She laughed and said, "And here all this time I thought you were a breast man."

"Oh yeah, good point."

With that, both of his hands were suddenly cupping her breasts, squeezing playfully, and Kagome only laughed again.

"And you call _me _a hentai." she said, not lifting a muscle to cease his physical inspection of her physique.

With both hands still holding her breasts, he lifted his gaze from her chest back up to meet her eyes and said, "Well, yeah. At least I kept my hands in _moderately _innocent territory. You tried to make a grab for my dick that first evening in this clearing. Hentai."

She giggled, and said, "Oh, I was tempted to touch it even before then. Even before our talk that morning where we sorted everything out." Unashamed, she admitted, "My very first day back, I had to stop myself from rubbing against you with my butt as you held me in your lap up in that tree as we watched the kids play."

"Holy shit..." he mumbled, releasing her breasts as his hands fell limply at his sides, his expression amazed. Kagome thought she just might have trumped his hentai card when suddenly he added, "That woulda been insta-boner, if you'd done that. It was already all I could do to not react to you in my lap in that damn skirt."

Taking a deep breath, he added, "You and those skirts... You know, I wasn't kidding about the amount of times I either had to take a cold dip or _take care of it_. Half the time, the reason I acted like such a dick to you was 'cause that's where all my blood was, and I was just as frustrated as you were earlier."

Kagome giggled again at that, and said, "It's too bad I didn't have any of my old school uniforms in my backpack. We'll just have to make do with my other skirt and sweater, to act out some of those fantasies."

His eyes smoldered.

"I'm looking forward to it."

That said, he turned around and crouched down.

"Come on, wench, let's get going already before my hard-on comes back again, 'cause running with a boner is hard enough with a fundoshi on, but right now I'm hangin' free and I don't need no distractions."

"Yes, sir." she said jokingly as she climbed up onto his back without hesitation.

After a brief amount of adjusting to make sure she was secure, he took off back towards the village, feeling a new sense of freedom that had nothing to do with his unrestrained phallus. From a non-perverted sense, he felt freer, and happier, than he had ever felt in his entire life. So what if he couldn't fulfill the fanciful desire of wanting to provide Kagome with a roof over her head, of laying her down on a soft futon in a dimly lit hut? It was just a matter of when, not if. He'd have that hut and futon _eventually, _and truth be told, he'd also had plenty of fantasies that involved the hot spring, or the forest in general, he'd just been trying to ignore his youkai half to 'do right by her', by his human heart. But when you took into consideration the mind boggling amount of things Kagome had given up in order to be with him it made his desire to hold out until their house was built more than a little petty, especially since she didn't _agree _with that desire. If _she _were the one who wanted to wait, then it would've been noble of him to be willing to wait as well, but forcing her to hold out when she didn't want to, just to 'do right by her', didn't make a whole hell of a lot of sense. The woman had just given up her entire family and five hundred years worth of technological advances in order to be with him; if she wanted him to fuck her in the dirt then he should damn well fuck her in the dirt and be grateful for the privilege.

It would be a fun, guilt-free stay at the hot spring. Of that he was sure.


	18. A guilt-free night

Chapter 18 – A guilt-free night

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It didn't take that long to head back to Kaede's village, since he went straight there and at pretty close to his top speed. He needed to get her back to the elderly miko's house before he ended up making a detour. They couldn't go the hot spring _yet_; they didn't have any supplies with them for one thing, and second, the day was already half gone. When they did go, he was sure she'd want to make a mini vacation of it, and camp out there overnight. It would require at least a little planning ahead. For right now, in that moment, all the hanyou cared about was getting back to the village and having lunch. He was _hungry_.

He should probably also go check in with the builders, he realized, and make sure everything was coming along according to plan.

Arriving back at the edge of town, he asked Kagome over the wind if she'd like to make a quick stop at their property to check on the progress with him, since he could hear that the men were still hard at work, not yet having broken for lunch. She readily agreed, curious about their progress as well.

Descending within the shadows of the trees, hanyou and miko walked hand-in-hand until the sounds of men at work became legible to her human ears, and then respectfully ceasing their show of affection before it became public they continued on to emerge through the trees from what was essentially their backyard now. The workers all stopped what they were doing in surprise as the couple appeared, and then after some bowing and '-sama'ing, the man in charge began giving hanyou and miko a rundown of their progress.

They were still in the process of packing the dirt for the main house's foundation, but Inuyasha and Kagome could both see that a lot of work had been done towards that end. The village's best board maker was also set up off to the side, busily removing the branches from the trees Inuyasha had downed in preparation for splitting the logs into usable lumber. Asking him briefly approximately how many more trees he estimated would be required, Inuyasha nodded and said he'd help with that, bringing in however many more trees they needed so that nobody had to worry about the added labor of chopping them down and relocating them themselves. There was no sense in overwhelming the area with too many downed trees all at once, though, since only so much lumber could be created so quickly, so he would hold off for the time being, but he would make sure he stayed on top of their needs, he told the board maker then. Inuyasha also said that since the woodworker's knowledge of which trees would work best was almost definitely better than his own, the man was welcome to accompany him into the forest at those times, or go himself if he had the time and Inuyasha was not around, and select which trees he wanted to use himself, since he was the one who'd be splitting them into boards. Inuyasha's idea of a good tree and the board maker's idea of a good tree might be two different things, the hanyou admitted, and so he would defer to the expert, he said. Arata, the woodworker, was visibly humbled by Inuyasha's praise, and bowed deeply while swearing he would not disappoint him.

Taking their leave after a few more minutes of conversation with the various workers, Inuyasha and Kagome made their way down the very familiar path from the Bone-Eater's Well, past Hideaki's property and across the street to Kaede's house. Rin was outside in the small, private vegetable garden beside the house, picking a few things for the midday meal. Turning at the sound of footsteps, she waved jubilantly at the approaching couple.

"Inuyasha-sama! Kagome-sama! You're just in time for lunch." the eleven-year-old said, holding up a few radishes.

"I can see that." Kagome said with an amused grin, the girl absolutely filthy. "You'd better wash up before lunch," she chided playfully, "I think Inuyasha's feet are actually cleaner than yours."

Said hanyou snorted a laugh at that, as Rin proceeded to lift up and examine the bottom of each of her bare feet. Realizing after a moment that she was being teased from the amused look in Inuyasha's eyes, Rin smiled back at Kagome and said, "Rin knows she makes Kaede-sama's floor dirty, but Rin makes up for it by cleaning the floor."

Kagome chuckled a little as well and smiled.

"That does make up for it, then." she agreed with a nod, and Rin grinned toothily before darting inside with the radishes, her voice excitedly telling Kaede that they were back echoing out to where the hanyou and miko still stood outside the door.

Glancing each other's way with matching amused grins, Inuyasha was the first to snap out of it, shaking his head a little, and then he moved forward enough to lift and hold open the reed mat for Kagome, who offered him a nod of thanks before proceeding to step inside the hut, Inuyasha following behind as he let the mat fall back into place behind them.

Kaede greeted them both from her spot in the kitchenette corner of the room, beside the door. She was just finishing up with washing the rice and would be putting it on to cook shortly.

"Welcome back you two." she said, her good eye following Kagome's movements as the younger miko slipped out of her sandals before stepping up onto the raised wooden floor, putting Kaede's borrowed quiver back where the elderly miko kept it before then putting the bow from Mt. Azusa away in what had become her corner of the hut. Kaede noted that each of her arrows were still accounted for.

"I trust that your patrols were free from troublesome youkai." she stated, turning to meet Inuyasha's gaze.

Truth be told she hadn't been worried, figuring that they had been delayed for reasons other than troublesome youkai. Observing the two of them in that moment, it was as if a weight had been lifted, from the hanyou at least. Kagome had ducked behind the changing screen before she could conclude her visual inspection of her apprentice, but as the elderly miko observed Inuyasha's stance in the domo beside her, he seemed...at peace.

"Nah, no youkai today." he answered, before taking a moment to inspect her progress with the midday meal.

It would still be a little while yet, as the rice was not yet cooked, nor was the fresh fish that was sitting aside, waiting to be cleaned. Rin was busy washing and chopping her radishes. Looking back at the large albeit single fish, meant he knew to be an accompaniment to their rice and vegetables, rather than the main course, he adopted a contemplative look, his belly rumbling.

"You don't mind if I grab me 'n' Kagome some red meat to add to our rice again instead of fish, do you? That one fish looks like plenty for you 'n' Rin, but not really enough for all four of us. At least not for as much as I wanna eat right now."

"Worked up an appetite, ne?" Kaede teased in response, causing Inuyasha to blush as dark as his robes.

Before he could answer, Kagome reemerged dressed in her yukata and wrap skirt, her old kosode, chihaya and hakama all bundled up in her arms along with her bra and panties, which she'd tactfully hidden within. Dropping the pile unceremoniously on the floor near her storage chest as she kneeled before said furnishing, she pulled out her pajamas and added them to the bundle as well, along with her other dirty underclothes. She was presently going commando underneath her kosode, as women in that time period naturally did, but it felt a little weird to her. She wasn't sure if she could get used to it, and figured that when her panties eventually failed her she'd switch to a form of fundoshi, like what Sango wore underneath her slayer uniform. Form-fitting youkai leather against naked girly bits? No way. She'd learned during their first bath together that Sango was one of the few exceptions to the rule of women from that time period not wearing underwear. Snickering to herself, she wondered what Miroku's reaction had been when he'd found out. She'd have to have a girl-talk day with Sango one of these days. Especially since she had a few things of her own that she'd like to share with her taijiya best friend.

Shaking her head in that moment to clear it of such random thoughts, Kagome glanced up to meet her husband's gaze and said, "Red meat for the two of us sounds good to me. No need to share the one fish if you think it's not enough. You could catch more fish, but if you want red meat instead I'm game. Either way." Gesturing towards her pile of dirty clothes, she added, "And while you're hunting, I think I'm gonna do some laundry real quick."

That said, she picked up her pile of clothes and dumped them into the empty wash bin as she stepped down into the dirt entryway, sandals back on her feet. Picking the bin up, she balanced it on her hip to carry outside and around to the back of the house. Or that was the plan, at least, before he took it from her, silently offering to carry it for her. Wordlessly, her eyes thanked him. They both knew the bin wasn't too heavy for her, but it was the principle of the thing. Stepping outside and around to the back of the house, Inuyasha following closely behind, hanyou and miko both missed Kaede's amused, knowing look.

"So you're sure you're okay with red meat again?" he asked her conversationally as he sat the wash tub down.

There wasn't a whole lot of room behind Kaede's house, but there was an alleyway of sorts between the back of the house and the hill where the elderly miko had a small clothes line hung up.

In answer to her husband's question, Kagome shrugged.

"Like I said, unless you'd rather have fish. I really don't care."

He smirked, making her think the question had been a setup in the first place, as he leaned in and whispered in her ear, "I don't think I'll need to go 'fishing' for a while, after today."

She both blushed and laughed, slapping his arm playfully.

"Hentai."

He smirked, but then shook his head, getting serious again. He really did need to go hunt something.

"I'm gonna get going, then, so I'm back in time to cook it with the rest of lunch."

"Hey..." she spoke up quickly, earning his attention right when he was about to leap away. He quirked a brow at her. "I know you'd jokingly said you didn't want to have to wash your fundoshi, but since I'm doing laundry anyway, want me to wash it for you? I _am _your wife, so doing your laundry _is_ my job, if you want."

His eyes widened at her offer, as if it honestly hadn't occurred to him that he never had to wash his own underwear ever again. He had a wife now to do it for him. Not that he really followed the human rule book of what constituted 'woman's work', but she _had_ offered.

"Yeah...thanks." he said, plucking the unwrapped strip of cloth from where it'd still been tucked within his robes. He had planned on taking a moment out in the forest to put it back on before actually getting down to the business of hunting, but truth be told, it _could _stand to be washed.

"Be back soon." he said then, as he dashed off into the forest, her "Okay." echoing in his ears. Heading back inside, Kagome grabbed the water buckets and made the brief trek down the street to the nearest public water well, all the while hoping a stray gust of wind didn't attack her although at least with the wrap skirt she had a little added modesty.

Coming back with the water and dumping it into the wash bin, she scrubbed the clothes as best she could and rung them out, hanging them to dry on the small clothes line, and then dumping the used water into the vegetable garden, she picked up the empty water buckets and put them in the empty wash bin, picking up the whole load before heading back inside. Setting her burden down before once again slipping off her sandals and stepping up onto the raised wooden floor, Kagome made her way over to the firepit, and the cooking pot of rice. Kneeling, she poked at the flames, adding another stick and watching the embers fly while Kaede finished preparing the fish her neighbors had given her.

"You seem especially pleased." Kaede stated observationally as she took note of the contented smile that never wavered on the younger miko's face.

"Hmm?" Kagome asked, looking up from the fire. "Oh, yeah, most definitely." she agreed, after realizing what Kaede had just said.

"I'm glad." Kaede stated. "Your spirit had been dipping these last few days, a darkness growing in your aura, and I must admit I was becoming worried, but I can tell that it's gone now."

Kagome cringed at her mentor's words.

"I'm sorry, I didn't realize my...frustrations...were visible on a spiritual level."

"Your energies had definitely seemed out of balance, but I had supposed it most likely had something to do with your newfound level of closeness with Inuyasha, and I knew it wasn't really my place to say anything, so long as it didn't become too serious of an issue. Newly married couples sometimes experience a few difficulties in the beginning, which is not usually a serious issue or anyone's business outside of the married couple. I would have spoken up had the situation worsened, because with your level of spiritual powers maintaining a healthy, balanced ki is more important for you than someone without such strong levels of reiki, but I am glad to see that your rendezvous this morning has alleviated your imbalance."

Kagome laughed at that, for some reason not feeling embarrassed to discuss such things with the woman who essentially felt like a surrogate grandmother to her. Rin being in the room was another matter, but the young girl wasn't quite as young by that time period's standards, she had to remind herself, and either way, Rin didn't really seem to be paying their conversation any attention, the girl spending the few minutes until lunch was ready sorting through some of the herbs Kaede had gathered that morning. She was picking out the edibles that would give lunch an even better flavor, separating them from the few medicinal herbs that were starting to grow that season, putting those ones aside in a container in Kaede's medicine cabinet, to be properly dried and sorted after lunch.

"That's one way of putting it." Kagome said then, her tone of voice teasing. "I swear, if I hadn't been able to get him to come around I don't know _what _I would've done, except maybe gone for a few private walks to balance my ki myself, if you know what I mean. He's been hung up this whole time on wanting our first time to be indoors, 'cause he said he thinks being out in the forest is too animal-like because of his youkai heritage. I guess he wanted to be indoors to make up for being half youkai, like it's really a bad thing, come on."

She snorted, amused, not yet noticing Kaede's surprised expression.

"Finally got him to give in to the youkai side that actually likes the idea of being in the woods just fine. A part of me feels bad, since I know he's compromising. I know he'd wanted the use of a house, but that's just too bad. I'm _not _waiting for however many weeks it takes to build our house, and fortunately he doesn't want to wait anymore, either. So our plan now is to head to a hot spring we know of in a day or two. Hopefully tomorrow. I'll make him forget all about not having a house yet."

She laughed a little to herself as she said that last part, still not noticing Kaede's almost shocked expression by that point.

When she finally did notice, she immediately felt a wave of dread wash over her. Kaede was staring at her in what she'd almost say qualified as aghast horror, and she wasn't sure if it was her joke about masturbating that'd gone too far or _what _the problem was. Rin was still sorting herbs in the corner, humming a little tune to herself.

Noticing Kagome's worried expression pulled Kaede from her stupor.

"Kagome..." she started slowly. "Do you mean to say that you two have not yet consummated? Tonight will be your _fourth _night as husband and wife."

Kagome blushed at that, but it was Kaede's almost worried tone of voice that had the younger miko plowing forward with the conversation.

She chuckled nervously.

"Believe me, I know. But what could I do? He wanted to wait until our house was built, so I think changing his mind in only four days is actually pretty good."

"I had been under the impression that during your times in the forest..." Kaede started, not needing to finish.

"Oh, we've done...a few things. Especially this morning. That's how I got him to change his mind." Kagome chuckled again. "And he had more than one reason for holding back, honestly. Wishing we could be indoors wasn't the _only _reason. We've worked everything else out, so with that being the last reason remaining, I guess he finally realized it was a pretty flimsy excuse."

"But even with his hesitations resolved, you two have not yet...?"

"Not yet, no, but we've got plans to get away."

"To a hot spring, yes." Kaede stated, indicated she'd heard that part. "But a part of Inuyasha still wishes he could have provided you with a human dwelling, correct?"

Kagome just shrugged, poking the fire again.

"I think he's kicking himself that he didn't have a house built for himself sooner, yeah, and he even said that if there was an abandoned hut somewhere that he knew of we could go there for a night, but there isn't. But I love the idea of a hot spring, so if it's okay with him it's definitely okay with me. I'll take anything at this point." She laughed a little as she said that last part.

"Would you prefer having a house to yourselves, if one were available?" Kaede asked her then, her tone thoughtful. Kagome tilted her head, wondering what Kaede was hinting at. It didn't really matter since it wasn't an option, so what difference did it make?

"Truthfully, I can't really say I personally prefer one thing over another. I guess I just started feeling sorry for him, 'cause it was originally kind of important to him; he feels like he failed me somehow. I wish we had a house for his sake, not my own. But I want to be with my husband, so now that he's agreed we don't need a house I'm _definitely _ready as soon as he is."

"I agree that you two should not wait any longer." Kaede said, surprising her apprentice when she added, "Not even until tomorrow."

Kagome looked up from the fire.

"Kaede-baa-chan?"

oooooooooo

Sweeping the last bit of dirt off the temple's front step, Miroku gauged the sun's position the best he could through the trees. Seemed about right. More than that, it was the rumbling in his tummy that told him it was lunch time. Nodding to himself, he put the broom away and headed towards the shrine steps. He paused in his tracks, surprised, to see an out of breath Rin rushing up the steps to meet him.

"Is everything all right, Rin?" he asked, concerned.

Her giant smile immediately put his mind at ease, although he was definitely still curious.

"Ah! Houshi-sama! Rin is glad she caught you before you left for lunch."

That explained her hurried gait, but...

"What was it you needed to see me about?" he asked the eleven-year-old.

Her smile grew wider, and she gestured for Miroku to bend down so that she could whisper in his ear.

"Can you sense Inuyasha-sama nearby yet?" she asked. Kagome had said he wasn't around, but she'd also warned that that could change very quickly.

Even more confused, Miroku concentrated for a moment and then shook his head. He had sensed Inuyasha briefly as he'd left the area a few minutes ago, but the hanyou was currently outside of his sensing range.

Which Rin knew meant he was _definitely _outside of hearing range. Kagome had instructed her to be very careful of that.

"Kaede-sama asked me to ask you if she and I may please spend tonight with you and Sango-sama." she told the monk then.

His eyebrows went up at that.

"Is everything all right?" he asked again, and Rin giggled behind her hand.

"Oh yes, everything is fine, although we aren't telling Inuyasha-sama that. The story is that a sick villager needs Kaede-sama to stay with them tonight, and Rin is staying with you because Kaede-sama figured if she were going to be gone anyway, she may as well give Kagome-sama and Inuyasha-sama a night to themselves. Kagome-sama fears that if Inuyasha-sama knew the whole thing was Kaede-sama's idea he'd be too embarrassed."

Miroku's face cracked into a huge grin at that. Oh no, he would not ruin it for his hanyou friend, tonight, but there would be much teasing at some point in the future. Suspecting from what they'd discussed on Market Day that tonight might actually be his and Kagome's first night together as husband and wife – because if they'd already had their fun out in the woods then why would Kaede feel the need to give up her home for a night? – Miroku was very glad that Rin had hurried to catch him and share this plan.

"I will discuss it with Sango, but I can already tell you that our answer is yes." he told the child then.

They headed down the shrine steps together, Rin watching as the rings jingled on Miroku's shakujo with every step he took. She bowed a temporary goodbye at Kaede's house and darted back inside as Miroku continued on his way down the street towards his own home. Sango's cooking was calling his name.

oooooooooo

_That worked out perfectly_... Inuyasha thought, as he raced back to Kaede's carrying the skinned and gutted carcass of a three-legged baby wild boar.

There were always plenty of rabbits near some of the village's largest vegetable gardens, and originally, that had been his prey. He hadn't really felt like going _too _deep into the woods, wanting to get back to Kagome as quickly as possible, and so he'd thought he'd just bump off a fat rabbit on the other end of town and be done with it. He always sprinkled a little rabbit blood around the nearest farms, too, since it'd help keep the other rabbits from ruining the crops at least for the next few days. It was win/win. But today, as he'd neared one of his preferred rabbit hunting grounds, a gods awful screeching wail from within the forest had had his ears pinning back to his head. Too quiet for human ears, it'd been loud enough to spook the rabbits away, and realizing almost immediately that it was the sound of something in pain he'd followed it to its source. There he'd found what became his lunch.

The poor thing had had a broken leg, although that was a bit of an understatement. Somebody's dog had picked it up by its hind leg and shaken it until the leg almost ripped off. Mama boar had undoubtedly shown up to put a stop to it, her scent was strong in the area, as were faint traces of dog blood, though not a fatal amount. His approach, his youki, was what had spooked the mother boar away. He couldn't blame her for thinking of herself first and foremost; the baby was lost.

He'd immediately put it out of its misery, and then made quick work of skinning and gutting the decent sized piglet. The dog, less afraid of him since just like the human villagers it was more or less used to him by that point, had approached warily from its hiding spot while he worked. The domestic dog, it didn't fear his youkai power, but it knew an alpha-male when it smelled one. It'd woofed submissively, and Inuyasha had inspected its injuries, glad that his assumption had been right and the dog wasn't seriously hurt. He'd woofed back an approval bark, letting the pet know it wasn't in trouble for what it'd done, and he'd then ripped off the dangling leg from the piglet's body and tossed it to the pooch, who caught it midair and trotted off with a happy swagger.

Looking back down at the three-legged carcass in his grasp as he neared Kaede's hut, Inuyasha smiled as he thought how proud Kagome would be of him when she heard the tale.

oooooooooo

"I agree, that was the right thing to do." Kagome said with a pleased smile as she pushed the chopped up bits of pork onto skewers and placed them strategically over the firepit. "Better to put a suffering soul to rest than to kill something that could have otherwise lived happily. I understand you're a hunter, and like I said before I'm not against eating meat, but I'm glad you didn't let the piglet suffer just to kill a healthy rabbit instead."

"Keh," he said, sniffing the cooking meat appreciatively. "Even if its guts had been open and the meat was no good I would've still put it out of its misery. Even back before I knew you I was never _that _heartless, to leave something suffering like that."

"I'm certainly glad to hear that." Kagome commented, turning the meat.

The rice had just finished cooking a couple of minutes ago and was off the heat, the fish ready as well, but the pork was not far behind and Inuyasha told Kaede for her and Rin to go ahead and start eating if they wanted. Kaede served up the rice and vegetables, and with her and Rin having their accompanying fish they began eating, and right about the time they had their first mouthful Inuyasha's nose informed him the pork was ready and Kagome immediately split it between the two of them and dug into her own rice with gusto.

The pork was delicious.

Everyone ate in companionable silence, and after lunch was finished Kagome volunteered to do the dishes since Kaede had those medicinal herbs Rin had sorted that needed to be dried properly. Inuyasha sat back against the wall and observed the women at work with a lazy, contented smile. After Kaede was done sorting her herbs she brought the collection over into the middle of the room and asked Kagome to join her. It was time for her first test, unofficial though it may be. The younger miko was happy to see how many of the various herbs she could identify. They worked for at least a couple of hours, as Kaede took her time rehashing what each herb did, what it was used for, and where it could be found growing wild, if applicable. Some of them, the ones harder to come by in the wild, she grew in the vegetable garden, but some were abundant in their local foothills and collecting them for her in the mornings would be a very big help, Kaede told Kagome in that moment.

As they worked, Inuyasha began to notice a theme in conversation, as Kaede put some of the herbs aside instead of putting them back away in their designated container once Kagome was done identifying them. The elderly miko even had her apprentice start brewing a fairly potent tea with some of them, although Inuyasha was definitely relieved that it didn't stink too badly. Apparently there was a sick villager that Kaede would be paying a house call to that night, needing to deliver some nighttime medicines. Inuyasha thought nothing of it until Rin made a comment about looking forward to seeing the girls. The sick villager had daughters? Rin was going with Kaede? Huh?

"Why is Rin going with you?" he asked Kaede, truly confused.

Kagome looked like she was going to answer, but Kaede beat her to it, explaining that Rin was not accompanying her to the sick villager's house, but was instead going to spend the night with Sango and Miroku.

Inuyasha _almost _asked why. His very first, initial thought, was that he and Kagome were perfectly capable of babysitting Rin, who was actually plenty old enough to stay completely by herself, and so it made no sense to him why she had to be sent away just because Kaede's services were required overnight, this sick villager's family asking for her because they feared the person's situation could worsen very rapidly and they wanted to have the elderly miko immediately on hand, just in case. He _almost _asked why, but then the spike of arousal he scented coming from Kagome had his mind coming to a screeching halt. Kaede would be gone over night...and so would Rin.

He felt guilty for feeling grateful that a sick villager required Kaede's assistance and sincerely hoped they made a full recovery. He was even more grateful that Kaede, with Kagome's help he imagined, had decided to send Rin away since she herself would not be there. Why _not _take advantage?

It was almost too good to be true.

Then he caught a quick look passed between the two miko and found himself wondering if there was even a sick villager at all. He hadn't bothered to check Kaede's scent at the time to see if she was lying, but discreetly sniffing his wife in that moment, she smelled both around and apprehensive. With as bold as she'd been before, were this truly nothing more than the fates gifting them with an opportunity to be alone, she should smell aroused and excited. Definitely _not _apprehensive. He felt his face flaming at the implication, but he had no intention of voicing his suspicions aloud until after he and Kagome were alone.

Fortunately, catching sight of his blushing face, Kagome just assumed, in part correctly, that he could smell her arousal, and so she figured that the realization of being in an empty house alone with her for the night, regardless of the circumstances surrounding how it'd come to be, had dawned on him.

Everything seemed to happen in a blur after that, and Kaede and Rin were both out of the house before dinnertime, the elderly miko making a point of saying that neither of them would be back until after breakfast. Alone in the house, no sounds but the crackling firepit and Kagome's nervous fidgeting as she picked at her fingernails, Inuyasha waited a good five minutes after they'd left before lifting his gaze from the dancing flame to stare at his nervous, excited wife.

"Kagome..." he said suddenly, and her eyes immediately snapped to meet his, a cute little blush staining her cheeks. He smiled reassuringly. "Is there really a sick villager?" he asked, his tone curious, his eyes silently promising he wouldn't be mad.

Her eyes widened at the unexpected question, then she shrank back a little, blushing darker. He had his answer. He laughed quietly.

"Whose idea was it?"

"The...the story about the villager was my idea, 'cause I didn't want to embarrass you in front of Kaede-baa-chan and Rin-chan. I'm sorry, I guess we should've just been honest, but I didn't know how you'd feel about knowing we'd been given the house purposefully, as opposed to just taking advantage of the situation. Leaving for the night was actually Kaede-baa-chan's idea, though. I swear I didn't ask her if we could use the house. She's the one who suggested it to me."

The air whooshed out of him at his wife's confession. He wasn't sure if he was relieved or not, to learn that Kagome hadn't begged the elderly miko to leave them alone for the night. Either scenario was embarrassing, but in different ways. Why Kaede had come up with the idea in the first place...it meant the women had talked, he knew. It meant Kaede had been made aware of his desire for a house. Of his need for one. It meant she knew they hadn't yet... But how could he be upset at her offer, though, really? He wasn't upset. More accurately, he supposed a 'thank you' was in order. Sure, it was embarrassing to know that _she _knew what he and Kagome would be doing that night, in _her_ house, but the desire to have a house, and to be with his wife, definitely trumped said embarrassment. He wasn't going to _not _take advantage of it and spoil his chance. He wasn't _that _much of an ass. Even though he hadconceded to he and Kagome using the hot spring – which he still planned on taking her to in a couple of days – to actually have a house like he'd wanted for their first time...that meant a lot to him. If the thought would have occurred to him that Kaede would actually be okay with packing up for the night so that they could have some privacy he would've...well, probably not asked the elderly miko himself, he wouldn't have been able to get through that, but he _would _have been okay with Kagome asking her. Now, what was done was done, and he was _definitely _going to take advantage of the opportunity, embarrassed or no.

He articulated this decision to the eighteen-year-old who'd been holding her breath for the last several seconds, awaiting his response.

"I think...I think I'm gonna worry about being embarrassed tomorrow, when I have to face the babaa again." he said then. "This is kind of fucked up, you know? I mean, she _knows _what we're gonna be doing, in her house, and that's... But ya know what? It's fucked up in kind of an awesome way, I think. Not gonna _not _take advantage of it, I'm not _that _stupid, but I feel like...holy shit, this is happening."

Those last five words summed it all up, really.

"Yeah, I understand that. No more waiting, no more 'not rushing into things'. This is it." Kagome agreed. Even she had to admit she had butterflies in her stomach, big time. This was really going to happen, this night, right now...

Right now!

Not saying another word, Inuyasha leaned in to kiss her, and she immediately started kissing him back. They each had vague passing thoughts along the lines of 'am I really ready for this?' but they each just as quickly answered that pesky voice with a resounding _Yes! _

After kissing for a couple of minutes sitting next to each other by the firepit, Kagome broke away from the kiss and sent her husband a knowing look. She stood up, moved over to 'their' corner of the hut, and laid out her sleeping bag, unzipping it fully so that it lied spread open. She even pulled the changing screen back over to that side of the room so that if somebody should happen to peak in through either the door or window they would remain hidden from view. Peaking out from around the edge of the privacy screen, she gestured playfully for him to join her, and the predatory look he flashed her as he slowly rose to his feet and stalked over into her corner of the room sent shivers down her spine, in a _good _way. This was it.


	19. Whenever I'm alone with you

Chapter 19 – Whenever I'm alone with you...

.

.

.

Ducking back behind the screen, Kagome got down onto the unfolded sleeping bag before he reached her, and stepping around the changing screen to spy his wife lying propped up on one arm, beckoning for him to join her with her other hand, Inuyasha couldn't stop the dog-like whine that escaped his throat as he dropped to his hands and knees and crawled over to her. Reaching her, he immediately knelt, cupping both sides of Kagome's face as he kissed her deeply, and she responded by tangling both fists in his hair, increasing the passion of their kiss even more. She felt his fangs scrape her bottom lip, just a little, and lightened up on the pressure, but the minuscule sting of pain didn't faze her for a second.

Inuyasha really was in sensory overload this time, but the good kind of sensory overload, that didn't give him a massive headache or render him temporarily disoriented. Well, okay, so he was a bit on the disoriented side, but it was still a good thing. All he could see, smell, taste, hear and feel was Kagome, and he was pretty sure that he could even feel the presence of her soul with his own, sense her aura with his, even beyond his usual ability to sense her reiki with his youki. She was an all-consuming force, and in that moment there was only _Kagome_. The faintest hint of blood only barely scratched the surface of bringing him back into reality. When Kagome didn't react to the accidental scratch aside from trying to be a bit more careful he didn't give the matter a second thought, either, and he certainly didn't bother breaking the kiss. His hands moved from cupping the sides of her face to his right hand tangling in her hair at the back of her head, his left working its way down to grab her right breast.

Kagome gradually lied back against the sleeping bag the rest of the way, and he followed her down, spreading himself partway over her body and partly off to the side, on her left, his right hand still fisting some hair at the back of her head, his left hand still palming her right breast. Kagome's left hand found its way up to his right ear while her right hand grabbed a fistful of fabric at his left shoulder. Finally breaking away from the kiss, knowing his wife needed to breathe, Inuyasha moved a bit lower and attacked her throat with his lips and tongue, and Kagome responded by tilting her head back to grant him better access, a gasp followed by a low moan of appreciation escaping her lips.

It didn't take long at all for his body to get excited. In fact, Inuyasha had already been turned on as he'd watched Kagome get their corner of the room set up. More aroused now than he'd ever been, which he figured was because he knew they _didn't _have to stop, he _didn't _have to keep himself under control, and _wasn't _cursing his body's reaction to her, Inuyasha looped his left leg over her left thigh in order to straddle her partway in their horizontal positions. It was a reprisal of their position from four nights prior out in that clearing, except he was on the right this time, and she didn't loop her right leg over to straddle his leg in return, but as he felt Kagome's right hand snake down between their bodies, instead of stopping her this time, he allowed her to close her fingers around him, moaning loudly as he continued to lavish open-mouthed kisses along her sensitive neck.

What he was doing was more than a little distracting, but Kagome maintained enough awareness to move her hand away after a couple of minutes in order to start plucking at the ties to his hakama. Inuyasha, immediately realizing what she was doing, moved his own hand to assist her with untying his pants, while moving his kisses back up to her mouth.

"Lie...down..." Kagome murmured after a moment, between kisses, pushing on his hip a little in her desire for him to turn over to lie flatly on his back, and panting heavily as he pulled back from their kissing, he complied.

With Inuyasha lying on his back beside her, Kagome sat up a little bit, finding it much easier to work on ridding him of his clothing when she could actually see what she was doing. Allowing him to continue untying the knots at his waist, she moved down to his feet, untying each draw cord that normally kept his pant legs cinched tight around his ankles. Those needed to be undone as well in order to get his pants completely off. She got the second one undone around the same time he'd finished unfastening the last knot at his waist, and as she moved to his feet to pull his hakama down his only acknowledgment was to lift his hips a little, making pulling his pants down easier for her. His hands had already moved to the ties of his suikan, opening that, and then his kosode, in short order. He sat up then, and it was Kagome's turn to crawl towards him seductively, as she approached from his front, putting herself almost in his lap as she kissed him hungrily while reaching up with both hands to slide his jacket and undershirt down his arms. He allowed the robes along with his small leather pouch to fall to the ground behind him, ignored, and then reached up with both hands to grab the sides of her head, tilting his own as he deepened the kiss. It didn't bother him in the slightest that he was sitting completely nude and aroused before her, until it dawned on him that she was still fully dressed.

"This is hardly fair, you getting me all naked and you're still dressed..." he purred as he pulled back from the kiss, reaching for the tie of her wrap skirt. "It's your turn now. Lie down."

Feeling both nervous and excited, Kagome complied, lying back on the opened sleeping bag. Inuyasha, sitting on her right now, made quick work of the wrap skirt, and then snaked his right hand into the folds of her yukata and kosode, affectionately rubbing the shin of her right leg with his right hand as his left hand plucked at the knots at her waist.

"Not shaving anymore?" he asked conversationally, noticing her leg stubble.

Honestly, it'd surprised the hell out of him the first time he'd felt how smooth her legs were. It was unavoidable that he'd feel her bare legs, what with the way he'd carry her around on his back in that short skirt of hers. He'd blurted out something to the effect of "Why the hell are your legs hairless?!" and she'd gone off on him in her embarrassment, asking him just what kind of a girl he was accusing her of being, saying of _course _she shaved her legs! Fortunately, only a short while later it'd dawned on Kagome that the women of that time period didn't shave, and it was one of the first times she'd actually apologized after blowing up at him, admitting she'd been wrong. She'd then explained how in her time it'd become a fashionable custom, leg hair considered unsightly on women. He'd snorted that it was a stupid custom, but had let it go after that, saying that they were her legs so she could do whatever the hell she wanted, even though he thought it was stupid.

In that moment, Kagome smiled sheepishly up at her husband's amused grin, and shrugged her shoulders.

"Even though I've got a razor in my bag, I figured there was no point in continuing to shave until the razor got dull, which it'd eventually do. Might as well start adapting to life in this time from day one, ne?"

"Fine by me." he answered, before his amused grin turned into a seductive smirk as he moved his fingers up along her inner thigh, towards her womanhood. Expecting to find cloth like he had that morning, he was surprised to find she wasn't wearing any panties. He raised an eyebrow at her. He hadn't honestly thought she would adapt _that _much.

"Laundry day, remember?" she asked at his expression, chuckling a little, and growling hungrily he retracted his hand and worked on her obi with both hands, untying her robes as quickly as possible. She giggled at his gusto and didn't try to assist him, figuring she'd only get in his way.

It didn't take long at all for Inuyasha to untie both her yukata and kosode, opening both robes to reveal her naked perfection to his heated gaze. He stared at her for so long, not saying or doing anything, that Kagome actually started to get worried, although she wasn't worried that he didn't like what he saw. His expression was one of wonder, of awe. A little bit of the fire was gone, but his desire was definitely still there, even if it had simmered into loving appreciation instead of mad passion. But he still seemed frozen; she needed to snap him out of it.

"Inuyasha?"

As if pulled from a trance, he jerked in mild surprise at the sound of her voice, and then forcibly dragged his gaze up to meet her own.

"I...I just..." He shook his head a little, trying to get his thoughts in order. He swallowed. "This is the first time I've actually been _allowed_ to look."

He sounded like a little boy meeting Santa Claus for the first time.

Kagome grinned, and said in a rather sultry voice, "You're allowed to do far more than look, you know."

His eyes, which had already been roaming lower again, raised back up to meet her own again at her teasing words. He offered her a half-smile that she figured was supposed to be a confident smirk, but it didn't quite reach his eyes. He couldn't quite hide his nervousness.

"I haven't forgotten." he said. He still made no move to actually touch her.

"I'm nervous too, Inuyasha. I _want _this, but that doesn't mean I'm not afraid of the unknown." Kagome said then, sensing that she'd better try to put his mind at ease a little bit.

His reaction to all of this reminded her of her first time on a roller coaster as a child. She'd been so excited at the notion of riding one, watching it fly by from the ground with the sense of wanting to do it so badly, of thinking how fun it would be. All the time she'd waited in line she'd been bubbly with anticipation. Then suddenly, as she was sitting down into the car, pulling the lap bar into place, she'd felt utterly terrified. Not enough to chicken out and ask to be let off the ride, but the fear had definitely come out of nowhere to take her anticipation down a peg. So she _did _understand Inuyasha's hesitation. Had this been a couple of years ago, she would've been hesitating just as much, but after over a year of hearing Yuka, Eri and Ayumi talk about their levels of intimacy with their own boyfriends she was done with feeling scared to experience the same things for herself.

Sitting up, legs together and tucked to the side for propriety's sake, she shrugged out of her loosened robes, tossing both them and Inuyasha's robes off to the side, clearing the sleeping bag surface of clutter.

"This is just so weird." he said after a moment, trying to organize his thoughts. "I mean, I know we're married now, obviously, but a part of me can't help feeling like you're gonna 'osuwari' me if I say or do the wrong thing." he said with a chuckle, trying to lighten the mood.

He failed big time, which he realized as Kagome's eyes became guilty.

"Kami, I'm _so _sorry I used to be such a bitch to you." she said, completely serious. "I know you said you forgive me, but still. Are you _sure_ you don't want me to remove the rosary?"

Her reaction was unexpected, her guilt certainly unintentional on his part, and he immediately felt guilty as well as a result. She obviously thought the subjugation he'd endured at her command was a bigger deal than it really was. She'd had three years to stew over it, after all. How could she say she loved him if she always resorted to such harsh, physical violence just to get her way in an argument, right? But he wasn't stupid, and he'd known damn well all the times he'd been pushing her buttons. She'd very rarely given him an 'osuwari' he couldn't reluctantly admit to himself that he'd deserved. Even if he hadn't felt that way at the time, looking back on it now he knew he'd deserved it, especially in the beginning, and as the months had gone on she'd used that command less and less, and the situations where she had used it had been more called for. Hell, the last time she'd subdued him it'd been to prevent him from slicing into that train thing. How many innocent people would he have stupidly murdered had she not said it? He did _not _hate the rosary, and he would make damn sure she comprehended that fact.

"Hell, Kagome, I didn't mean nothin' by it. I think you think the rosary's a bigger deal than it really is. The only reason the beads pissed me off in the beginning was 'cause I was wild, I didn't _want _to be tamed, but you tamed me anyway and I'm yours now. You need to get it through your head, I _like _having your collar around my neck. You offer to take it off one more time and I'm gonna feel like an abandoned dog, like you don't want me anymore."

He was just teasing as he said that last part, lowering his ears and giving her puppy dog eyes for emphasis, and she giggled, patting him on the head between his ears, which both immediately perked back up at her touch. He waggled his eyebrows at her then, and added, "I'm yours, and you're _mine_."

That said, he closed the gap between them, intending to wipe all thoughts of the rosary out of her mind for the time being, and easily reading his plan but grateful for it, Kagome welcomed him with open arms as he kissed her again, her naked chest pressed flush against his own. She pulled back after a few moments, and waggling her eyebrows in return, she took his left hand and placed it over her right breast, his palm touching her bare flesh for the first time.

His look of wonder slowly morphed into a pleased smile as he lifted his right hand to her left breast as well, and Kagome's arms lowered to her sides, an amused grin on her lips as she let her husband play for a few silent minutes. He chuckled quietly when she was unable to fully suppress a gasp of pleasure.

"Like that, huh?"

She quirked a brow at him, and reached up to pinch his right nipple in payback. Without reacting, he merely quirked his brow back at her.

Hers became more furrowed.

True, some guys didn't have sensitive nipples, but...

She smirked as a wicked idea came to her, and then before he could question, she leaned forward, lightly capturing his right nipple with her teeth. He did gasp then, though if it was more from surprise or sensation she wasn't sure. She immediately teased him, kissing, licking and sucking, and Inuyasha quickly found himself losing it at the foreign, delightful feeling. For a brief moment the sensations had the hanyou wondering what it would feel like to have her talented lips and tongue on another, even more sensitive part of his body, before he immediately banished the thought to the darkest corner of his mind. If she one day wanted to...do that... If she _wanted_ to, it was up to her. He would never _ask_. He already had more than he could ask for.

Unaware of his thoughts, Kagome made her way up his chest, kissing, licking and biting the sides of his throat, and he moaned, tilting his head back to give her better access. The significance of the action was not lost on her, so in-tune was she to the fact that her husband was half canine and saw himself as such. She gave one long, slow lick across his entire throat, and he whimpered, and then she moved her mouth over his, raising her hands to the sides of his face. He immediately kissed her back, and then followed a reverse path of his own, down the side of her throat, across her collarbone and shoulder, and then finally, down to her breasts, repeating her earlier actions. She moaned appreciatively, her head tilted back, eyes closed, right hand fisting hair at the back of his head. He was _very _careful of his fangs, just using his tongue, and suddenly, it was Kagome's turn to wonder what it would feel like to have that talented tongue of his in another location.

There was no hurry, though. This moment, this night, was about enjoying each other to the fullest. They weren't in any hurry. They had _all _night.

Inuyasha could hardly believe this was happening, and yet he knew it was, and it was a dream come true. Pulling back a little after a moment, he stared appreciatively at her. Kagome's left hand was still massaging his right ear, his neglected left ear right in her line of vision thanks to his lowered gaze, and after a moment of his silent appraisal the most seductive words she'd ever said were whispered across the fine hairs of the triangular appendage.

"Come'ere, I wanna do that to your ear."

Instead of sensually complying right away with hooded eyes, his head snapped back in surprise at her words, causing her hands to release him. His eyes were opened wide as he blinked at her.

"K-Kagome?"

She only smirked demurely.

"I said come here." she repeated softly as she reached up with both hands, fisting tufts of hair on both sides of his head as she gently yet firmly yanked his head back down, practically shoving his face in her chest in the process of bringing her prize within reach.

Before he could react, or even contemplate what was happening, she had his left ear in her mouth, and was very gently, slowly, teasing the interior with her tongue.

"O-o-ohhhhhh..." he stuttered and then moaned out, his entire body shuddering violently. "Ohhhhhh _fuuuuuuuuck_..."

Then, maintaining her hold on the back of his head with her left hand, she lowered her right hand to grab him down below.

"OOOooohhhhhmmm_mmmmm_..." he moaned-whined, the sound starting out more human but ending on a distinctly canine note. It always amazed her, the extent of his vocal range. Sometimes she wondered if he had two completely separate sets of vocal cords, to sound so human and yet be able to sound so dog-like at times.

"Y-you b-better st-stop that..." he rasped, and she complied, releasing him completely, including his hair.

He sprang back as soon as she let go of his hair, staring at her in wonder from his place sitting cross-legged directly in front of her. Staring at her in awe, he slowly raised his left hand up to his ear, but it only hovered there a moment before lowering again, not touching the wet fur. Suddenly, Kagome was on her back, looking up at the ceiling, though not for long as a deliriously happy face with a curtain of white hair hanging down to shield her view of the outside world was suddenly in her line of vision, as she felt Inuyasha's body pressed intimately against her own as he lied on top of her, and then, he was kissing her hard and fast, his hands cupping the sides of her face. Kagome rocked her hips back and forth a little bit as she moaned into the kiss, teasing them both with the friction. He would not be able to complete their joining at that angle.

They kissed lying nude in each other's arms for at least another five minutes, his hips rocking gently against her, her hands roaming all over the strong, smooth muscles of his back. At one point, his left hand roamed over to her right upper arm, to the spot he knew he'd sliced her while under Naraku's influence. They'd never had a chance to talk about it.

"I'm glad you didn't scar." he murmured softly in that moment, giving that part of her arm an appreciative lick before moving over to her throat, and Kagome immediately knew what he was talking about.

"Me too, but even if it had, I know you hadn't actually been trying to hurt me."

He pulled back from kissing her neck, his hips growing still.

"I...I don't remember." he said remorsefully, looking into her eyes, his own full of love and concern.

She reached up with her left hand and affectionately ran it down the back of his head, running her fingers through his silky hair up and down as she stroked him.

"I know, and I know Naraku told you you'd killed me, which obviously isn't true. Personally, I think you felt it taking you over, and feared what would happen if he _did_ somehow manage to gain complete control over you, and so you pushed me away, trying to get me away from you before it was too late. If you'd actually been trying to kill me in that moment, you and I both know I would be dead."

He closed his eyes and nodded slowly, absorbing her words. It was true, of course, that had he been trying to kill her she would be dead, so obviously that hadn't been his intent at that time. If she believed what he had really done was shove her away, to get her away from the danger that was himself, then he would believe her.

"I'm still glad you didn't scar." he decided to repeat after a moment of silence, opening his eyes back up to meet her gaze again.

He crinkled his brow in contemplation, his eyes becoming thoughtful.

"Come to think of it, you ain't got no scars at all that I can see. How the hell is that even possible?"

Kagome just shrugged, stilling her hand although she left it at the back of his head.

"Neosporin?" she questioned, the foreign word one he did remember from their quest days. "I always treated all the cuts and scrapes I got; guess the stuff really works."

Nodding absently, he lifted himself above her by his arms push-up style to get a better look, her left arm dropping to her side as he moved his gaze up and down over her entire form, his hanyou vision in no way hindered by the low light in their shadowed corner of the hut. While Kagome had thankfully not acquired _too _many nasty injuries throughout the quest, she'd certainly had her share of scrapes and bruises. He couldn't see even the tiniest blemish on her skin, not one. Not even...

"What the fuck?" he blurted. "Even the jewel scar is gone. I've _seen _that one before, right here."

He accidentally tickled her side with his fingertip as he touched her gently, causing her to giggle and squirm a bit. He smiled down at her, but quickly got serious again. The spot on her side where the jewel had been ripped from her body, the spot that had been stitched up by Kaede and not treated with modern-day medicine and had indeed left a scar he had seen before on the rare occasions he'd seen her naked in the past, was now as smooth and clear and blemish-free as the rest of her perfect body.

"I mean, not that I'm complaining, but..."

He let his words trail off, the unasked question clear in his eyes. Kagome merely shrugged in answer, having been aware that that scar had disappeared but without an explanation that she could think of.

"Honestly, I have no idea." she admitted. "It healed. The only thing my family and I could figure was that my powers must have healed it."

It would've actually made more sense if the scar had vanished in an instant upon the jewel's destruction, even though the scar had been the result of a youkai attack and should not have been linked magically to the jewel itself in any way. But that hadn't been what'd happened, anyway. It hadn't just suddenly been gone immediately upon wishing the jewel out of existence. Gradually, over time, she'd witnessed it slowly fade away, slowly heal, even though it'd been a rather nasty scar and she knew scars of that nature did _not _heal. Not ever. Not without modern medical intervention, at least. And yet hers had, all by itself, without so much as a skin cream application. She hadn't really given the matter _that _much thought, but once upon a time, when she'd asked her mother and grandfather about it, they had both supported the hypothesis that she'd been able to heal herself with the strength of her unsealed miko powers. She had not kept her powers a secret from her family, and they had been given a demonstration similar to what she'd done in front of Kaede, Rin and Inuyasha with the bow from Mt. Azusa.

That was probably one of the reasons they'd been so supportive of her decision to come back to the past. It was just as she'd told the villagers; someone with her powers simply wasn't needed in that world, but she _was _needed in _this _world. She was meant for this world. This world, and this man, the man currently lying above her. She opened her legs a little to give him more room, allowing him to settle himself between her legs a little more fully. She rocked against him, and he mirrored her movements, which sure made it a hell of a lot harder to think.

"Hell, maybe it was your power instead of your medicine that prevented you from scarring all the other times." he said then, his tone of voice reflecting that whatever the case may be, he officially no longer gave a fuck.

He'd just been caught by surprise more than anything else, but honestly, the fact that her body had apparently healed itself was just fine with him. It wasn't as if he wouldn't have found her just as attractive with a few battle scars here and there, but they _were _nasty reminders of what all they'd been through, or at least, they would have been, had they existed. He most certainly wasn't complaining. He was sure she was as equally glad that he didn't have any scars, either.

"Maybe." Kagome agreed, in a tone of voice that was equally disinterested. She gave her hips a little bounce, reminding her husband of what was most important in that moment.

As if he needed reminding.

Lowering his arms, he repeated his earlier action of kissing her silly while he lazily rocked against her, teasing then both with the delicious friction. He didn't immediately move to join with her. The truth was he was still a little nervous, and was stalling, but what they were doing certainly felt good and it was by far the most intimate they'd been thus far. He knew this was still nothing compared to what was yet to come, but all in due time, he told himself. First, he wanted to get another taste of her sweet nectar. Add to that the fact that he knew it would hurt her, and he wanted to make _sure _she enjoyed herself beforehand. It was the least he could do.

Slowly, bit by bit, he lowered himself, shimmying himself down her body, his lips and tongue trailing kisses in his wake. He took a moment to worship each breast, finding amusement in how they lolled to the sides now that she was lying flat on her back. He grabbed them with both hands on the outside, pressing them together, and moved his tongue over each one, back and forth. She both moaned and giggled. Her laughter didn't bother him. He knew she wasn't really laughing at _him_. So what if his actions amused her? She was laughing because she was _happy_. This _was _supposed to be fun, wasn't it? Smirking, he shimmied himself even lower, and dipped his tongue into her bellybutton. That earned a completely different type of gasped laughter from the miko.

_So she's ticklish here, is she? _he thought, mentally tucking that bit of information away for safe keeping.

Backing away from her completely, he stretched out on the sleeping bag before her, his legs hanging over, lying on the wooden floor, as he propped himself up a little on his elbows and lied on his belly between her legs, staring again for a moment.

Looking down her body at him, Kagome felt her face flame at the visual of him staring at her _there_, but to her credit she didn't try to close her legs or twist away. She felt a little under the microscope, but knew she had absolutely no right to feel self-conscious after what she'd put him through that morning, and knowing how much he had come to enjoy her 'inspection' of him she didn't doubt she'd find his appraisal of her body just as pleasurable. But that didn't mean she could just lie there looking at him look at her, and so letting her head fall back in that moment, she stared up at the ceiling, willing to let whatever happened, happen.

Finally, he spoke.

"Open up, I wanna see. Sorry if that don't sound romantic, but as we've established, you're my first, and I think I've waited long enough to find out what a woman actually looks like down here."

Kagome snorted out a laugh at his bluntness. He wouldn't be her Inuyasha if he were suddenly all Casanova.

Shaking her head in lingering amusement, she nonetheless obliged.

Inuyasha chuckled as well at her laugh, a big part of him relieved that he hadn't upset her with how he'd phrased his request. He'd never claimed that being tactful was one of his strong suits. Observing as she granted his request regardless, he openly stared at what was revealed to his gaze, and if Kagome had been watching his face she would have seen the brief moment when his 'innocent child' expression returned, a large part of the hanyou truly feeling awe and wonder over the fact that this was actually happening. That thought was fleeting, however, and his expression quickly morphed back into one of male pride as he decided to stop _just _staring.

Kagome was trying to keep her breathing steady, unsure of what to expect as she just lied there, waiting for him to do something, but quickly enough she felt his exploration. She closed her eyes, moaning softly.

Inuyasha's ears homed in on her quiet sounds of pleasure, and he smirked. He was holding his hand at an awkward angle to make sure he couldn't possible graze her with his claws, debating for a moment if it wouldn't be better to use his knuckles instead, just in case, but so far he seemed to be doing okay so he kept at it in that moment. Remembering what Kagome had said before about 'preparing' her for their first joining, he still wasn't sure if _that_ was a good idea, but he had other plans in that moment, anyway. The whole point in climbing down here had been because he'd wanted to taste her again, after all. He was _very _grateful that Miroku had never shut up in all of the times he'd asked him to.

Kagome gasped and jerked when she felt his tongue, her hands immediately clutching the sleeping bag at her sides.

"Ooo_oohhh kamiiiiiiiii_..." she panted, unable to stop writhing, her head shaking from side to side.

Managing to lift her head, she gazed down the length of her body again, and the visual nearly sent her over the edge right then and there. His eyes were closed, and what she could see of his face looked as if he were experiencing _almost _as much bliss as she was. Thinking back to that morning, and the look he'd given her as he'd licked his fingers, she realized that he probably _was _enjoying it.

Boy was he ever.

She was officially his new favorite flavor, and he wouldn't trade it for all the ramen and potato chips in the future world. Sensing she was close, he shifted what he was doing, delighting in teasing her.

For Kagome, it was a reprieve she hadn't wanted, even though she knew that ultimately, her release would be even more powerful thanks to his teasing. So she didn't reprimand him, not that she currently had the ability to speak, anyway. All she could do in that moment was moan, loosening and tightening her fists in the sleeping bag. He was making her want the real thing even more. She didn't even care anymore if it was going to hurt. The first time she'd tried to ride a bicycle without training wheels she'd fallen and scraped her knee; that'd hurt, but yet, it'd been necessary in order to eventually get good at riding her bike, which had become one of her favorite pastimes once she'd mastered it. She wasn't necessarily looking forward to the pain, but looking _beyond _this moment, she was _definitely _looking forward to the time when it wouldn't hurt her anymore, and there was only one way to get to that point.

She almost cried out for him to get to _the _point when he must have sensed her frustration because he changed back to what he'd been doing before, and she couldn't stop the spasms causing her entire body to shake. It felt nothing like anything she'd experienced before, including that morning. This was a whole other type of wonderful and she would _definitely _have to return the favor later.

"Oohhh I...I'm gonna... AhhhMMmmmmmm!" she cried out as it hit her, belatedly trying to muffle the sound by slapping her hand over her mouth as she squirmed.

Sweaty and panting, Kagome somehow managed to raise her head to glance down at Inuyasha again, and he met her eyes with a confident smirk as he knelt between her feet, making a show of licking his lips.

"Delicious." he said in satisfaction, and she laughed a little before allowing her head to thump back against the floor.

She then raised her arms up in a beckoning fashion.

"Come to me, lover. It's your turn now."


	20. Where Soul Meets Body

Chapter 20 – Where Soul Meets Body

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With his smirk turning into more of a sincere smile, his look hesitant but loving, Inuyasha got up onto his hands and knees and crawled over Kagome, settling himself back down over and on top of her body, his legs in between her own again.

"This is it." he said, more than a little nervously. He gulped, not even bothering to try and hide the look of fear he knew she could see in his eyes.

Kagome smiled, offering him a reassuring nod.

Not looking any more confident, but nodding back at her just the same, he slowly started to press himself forward, or at least tried to. He was hesitant to use much force. The unmistakable grimace that flashed across Kagome's face didn't help matters, either.

As he started to move, she winced at the sensation. It wasn't that bad, really, but it wasn't pleasant either. But as soon as it'd started, it stopped again, and before she could question why, he was already backing away from her, sitting on his legs between her own.

"Oh hell, it's hurting you too much." he said, his voice and posture dejected.

"There's nothing for it, Inuyasha. It's going to hurt. That's a fact of life. We've got to get through this. It's not _that _bad, and despite the pain I _want _to be with you that way. I _want _this."

"I know that! I just...I...I can't just..."

Her eyes softened in sympathy. He looked absolutely miserable, the poor thing.

"Would you like to be on the bottom? 'Cause then that way, I'm the one in control, and it's not your fault then, so you don't have to worry about going too fast or too hard."

He mulled that idea over for a minute, realizing it was probably a very good idea, indeed, but then before he could give his agreement, she suggested something else.

"Or you could stretch me a little with your fingers first, like we discussed."

His eyes immediately snapped back to hers.

"I _really _don't think-"

He cut himself off when she sat up suddenly and grabbed his left hand in her right, and holding his index finger only, she again brought his hand up to her chest, like she'd done several times before, except this time, only holding his index finger, she began pressing his fingertip into the top part of her breast, only a couple of inches above her nipple. His eyes were wide in confused panic, so much so that he didn't even yank his hand away, letting her continue what she was doing in baffled horror.

Slowly, carefully, Kagome pressed his claw against her soft, pliant flesh, going harder and harder little by little, trying to make a point...no pun intended. His claw was poking into her breast, and it hurt, but it hadn't broken the skin yet. She was poking herself pretty hard, too. Pulling back after a minute, there was an angry red indent in her skin, but there was no actual blood. She released him then, and he immediately lifted his hand into his field of vision, staring at the offending digit in disbelief, before moving his gaze back to hers, his expression unchanging.

Before he could question her about just what the _hell _she'd been thinking, she was speaking again.

"As you can see, your claws aren't so sharp that the tiniest poke is all it takes to hurt me. Even human men have to be careful of their fingernails in this situation, Inuyasha," she explained, "and actually, I think a thinner nail is more likely to scratch than your thicker talons. There's nothing you'll be poking their tips up against," she grabbed his hand again and rubbed her fingertips over the smooth sides of his claw, "and your claws aren't sharp along the sides at all. It's not like they're tiny saw blades that'll slice me all up."

Cupping his hand in both of hers, the look in her eyes was sincere and full of love.

"Your claws are only dangerous because of just _how _strong you are and just _how_ much force you can actually put behind them. Sure, you _can _stick your claws straight into solid rock, you can also punch a tree and knock it clean over, yet I've seen you hit humans across the head just enough to daze them. You're obviously capable of throwing your punches, so this shouldn't be any different. Just because you _can _use more force than a human could ever hope to dream of, that doesn't mean you're incapable of being gentle. I trust you."

He was still staring at her in shock, even though already, the mark on her breast was clearing up, indicating it hadn't been as bad as he'd initially thought it was. Before he could say anything she was lying back down again, and despite himself, he found himself following her down. Maneuvering himself so that he was lying beside her on her right, propped up onto his left side a little bit while she remained flat on her back, he leaned over and kissed her gently, proving her point in and of itself, before he whispered softly, "Are you sure?"

Her answer was her right hand grabbing his right hand, putting it where she wanted it.

He closed his eyes for a moment then, breathing in and out through his nose, willing his pounding heart to settle back down. Then, opening his eyes back up and locking gazes with his beautiful wife, he moved _very _slowly, and _very _carefully.

Kagome at first wiggled her hips a little at the sensation, but noticing his eyes widen a bit in worry as he immediately stopped moving, she quickly decided to hold still, as best she could at least. She nodded for him to continue.

He gulped and nodded as well. Slowly but surely, he developed a rhythm. Kagome moaned appreciatively at the pleasurable sensation. She smirked at the sight of his gaze drifting lower; the look of amazement on his face absolutely tickled her heart. She chuckled softly, just enough to earn his left ear turning in her direction for a moment as the rest of him remained focused on what he was doing, and then she murmured quietly for him to go ahead and add a second finger.

Wordlessly, he glanced up into her eyes as if to silently ask her if she was sure, and she nodded her consent. He nodded as well.

Things progressed like that for the next several minutes, despite his conviction that very morning that he would _not _attempt this. He'd been right about Kagome not being able to stay still; she was loving every minute of it. It wasn't enough stimulation to make her reach climax again, though, he realized after a moment, and so shuffling himself around, he knew what would.

Kagome's eyes, which had been pinched closed, flashed open for a moment at the unexpected yet wholly welcomed addition. The added stimulation was what she'd needed to push her over the edge, and her mouth dropped open into a silent O shape before closing again, biting her lower lip as her eyes pinched tightly closed. Her breathing quickened, and suddenly, her body locked, a silent scream escaping her as she thrashed her head violently from side to side, her fists clenched in the bedding, desperately trying to resist jerking her hips too much.

She rode it out for as long as she could, and then groaned out a choked "St-stop..." as she pushed back lightly on his forehead.

He immediately complied and pulled himself completely away, kneeling between her legs again. His neglected bodily needs were impossible for her to miss.

"Ready?" he asked her then, trying and failing to keep the eagerness out of his voice.

She chuckled.

"I'm as ready as I'll ever be, both physically and otherwise. Get over here, husband. Make me your wife."

He growled playfully at those words, like a happy dog playing with his favorite toy. It warmed her heart that he could be himself like that around her, that it didn't make him nervous or ashamed to make such sounds in her presence. She remembered that back during the beginning of their quest he very rarely, if ever, made any dog noises, and on the rare occasion when he accidentally let one slip he'd always blush and look away in embarrassment afterward if she glanced his way as a result of the sound. Now, as he growled and whined before murmuring out in the human tongue just how much he loved her, before his hanyou tongue was suddenly back inside her mouth again, giving her a taste of herself, Kagome could only reflect on how much she honestly loved him in return as she kissed him back, and how eager she was for them to continue. Feeling Inuyasha settle himself back between her legs again, she wrapped hers up and around his waist.

He broke out of the kiss as she did so, gasping in surprise of the maneuver, but upon registering the playful look she was giving him, her laughing eyes sparkling mirthfully, his own expression took on a more playful appearance as well. Aligning himself again, he wasn't afraid this time. He immediately noticed that it was easier to move forward than the first time, and Kagome was also still just smiling up at him, no poorly concealed grimace of pain.

Kagome found it an odd yet wholly welcomed sensation. It was still mildly uncomfortable, but it was definitely nowhere near as painful as it had previously been. More importantly, regardless of whether it'd still hurt her or not, they were joining, they were _one_; this was the happiest moment of her life.

Inuyasha, meanwhile, was in complete and utter shock again, this time from how _good _she felt. Nothing in his life...not ever... _Nothing _had ever felt even remotely close to _this!_

_Holy crap! No wonder Miroku likes sex so much! _the hanyou thought. It was not lost on him that he was probably the first and only hanyou to ever have sex, at least _as _a hanyou, since he supposed it was remotely possible somebody out there had been braver than him and had either bought or acted like a whore during their human time. But even assuming there were such a hanyou out there somewhere, Inuyasha still felt confident that he was the first to actually _make love _to the person he _loved_. And that person actually loved him back in return. What was up with that?

Kagome's voice pulled him from his musings when he heard her quiet whisper telling him, "You can move now."

She must have thought he'd been holding still for her sake, to give her time to adjust. Perhaps that'd been a part of it, but that wasn't the only reason.

"In a minute." he answered her. "This is all just so... I want to cherish this memory forever."

Kagome's eyes widened at the look in his own as he murmured those softly spoken words while gazing down at her lovingly.

"Are...are you crying?" she asked softly, almost not daring to ask the question. Her heart felt like it was bursting with how much she loved Inuyasha in that moment, and just when she thought it would be impossible for her to love him any more, he only smiled tenderly at her question, instead of either gruffly trying to deny it or even reaching up with a hand to wipe at the gathering moisture.

The extra shimmering in his eyes was impossible to miss; he knew there was no point in denying it. Then one single tear broke free, and landed on Kagome's cheek. He leaned down and licked it away.

"I think...I think I finally understand how women can cry over mushy stuff, even when you're not sad."

Kagome chuckled softly at that.

"Do you want to talk about it?" she asked.

It was his turn to chuckle.

"Ain't nothin' to talk about, 'cept this is the best moment of my life, and it's only gonna keep gettin' better. Every moment is going to stay my best moment ever, 'cause every moment with you in my life is gonna just keep gettin' better and better, forever."

"Now you're going to make _me _cry..." Kagome murmured lovingly, her right hand lifting up to gently brush down the back of his head, her fingers combing through his hair. Then, her smile turned into a wicked smirk, as she waggled her eyebrows at him before concentrating on clenching her inner muscles.

His eyes widened at the unexpected feeling. She'd already been so tight. His entire body shuddered at the sensation.

"It can get a whole lot better in this very moment, for sure, if you start moving already." she said then, her tone far more amused than annoyed, and he laughed again.

"You got it." he answered, as he slowly began to move. The sensations rushing through him were beyond what he could comprehend. Nothing in life could possibly feel this good. He would think he was dreaming, except never even in his wildest fantasies had it felt anything even remotely like _this_.

"Ohhhhh fuck me..." he groaned, eyes closing in bliss.

"No, fuck _me_." she replied teasingly, and his eyes immediately snapped back open wide in shock at her dirty language.

"Damn, woman..." He chuckled, shook his head, then smirked and replied, "Your wish is my command."

Grateful that he was actually moving, that they were finally making love, Kagome wrapped both arms up and around his neck. The sensation was definitely not as uncomfortable as she had feared it would be. Already the lingering burn was beginning to subside. Already she could feel whispering hints of pleasure mixed with the fading pain. Already she could tell that his climax was on the approach, but she didn't mind.

Feeling her wrap her arms around him, Inuyasha lowered himself fully on top of her and wrapped his own arms around her in return, holding her to him as buried his face where her neck met her shoulder. Keeping a swift tempo, they both knew he could move a _lot _faster, but they also both knew they shouldn't try to get too adventurous Kagome's first time. Not to mention he would explode in an instant if he dared go any faster. He was already on the verge of exploding as it was, anyway.

_Damn it_ ...

Rushing up on the precipice, he suddenly came to a complete stop, panting heavily against her shoulder.

"K-Kagome...I...I can't-"

"Yes, you can." she interrupted, and his cheeks reddened although she didn't see it.

"No, I mean I'm about to..." He let his words trail off, knowing she knew what he meant. Pulling his head away enough to meet her eyes, he needed to see if there was disappointment in her gaze.

Quite the opposite. She smiled up at him reassuringly as their gazes locked, and then smirking, she squeezed her inner muscles again, biting back a snicker at the way his eyes rolled back in his head.

"Yes, I know." she answered then. "I want you to. It's okay, trust me."

He didn't look convinced.

"But what about you?"

She raised an eyebrow at that.

"Are you honestly still worried about disappointing me?" she asked, snorting in amusement to show him just how absurd she found that notion to be. "I think two for the price of one is a pretty good deal, don't you?"

His cheeks got even darker at her words, and she giggled quietly before rocking against him.

"Ooo_oohhhhhhh_..." he groaned, before the sound turned into more of a growl. Something in him snapped, then, as he snapped his hips forward to match, and then he was humping her swiftly. It only took a few seconds.

He growled his release, the sound almost bordering on a howl except it was obvious he'd tried to be quiet. It was a muffled howl, if ever there was such a thing, muffled by his face once again shoved in her shoulder. His body locked tight and he didn't move a muscle, aside from the way he was shaking beyond his control, and Kagome knew that already he had a new best moment of his life. She agreed with his earlier assessment; each and every moment from here on out would only continue to get better and better. Sure, they might have their occasional ups and downs as a married couple, what couple didn't? But as a general rule every day was going to get better; every week, every month, every year. This was their first time making love, and so it would forever hold a special place in her heart, but she knew it would undoubtedly continue to get better and better with time. They still had plenty more firsts ahead of them, and she was looking forward to each and every one. In that moment, though, as he finally lifted his head back from where he'd buried it in her shoulder again, sheepishly meeting her gaze, Kagome merely offered him another reassuring smile, as she once again stroked the back of his head with her right hand, combing her fingers through his hair.

"So..." she said after a moment to break the awkward silence, "How does it feel to no longer be a virgin?"

He snorted, and lowered his face back down, nuzzling the side of her throat with his nose.

"Hentai..." he mumbled, smiling against her neck when she giggled. "I could ask you the same thing, you know." he murmured quietly as his lips ghosted over her ear.

She shuddered at the sensation.

He smirked as inspiration struck.

Sticking his tongue out, Inuyasha wrenched a gasped burst of laughter from his wife as he repeated her earlier actions by sticking the tip of his tongue in her left ear. She tried to shove him away, hands on his shoulders, but he didn't budge. Torturing her for a moment longer, Inuyasha shifted what he was doing when he could sense that she was truly about at her limit, and then he took Kagome's earlobe into his mouth and suckled gently, careful of his fangs. Releasing her after a moment, he blew gently, grinning stupidly as she shuddered again.

"How's it feel?" he repeated teasingly, wiggling his hips.

"I asked you first."

"Fucking amazing." he answered honestly.

"No wonder you haven't moved yet." she stated, her tone still playful, still teasing.

"No, it's 'cause you haven't moved your feet yet." he countered, and was rewarded with dark red cheeks as she realized she did indeed still have her ankles locked across his lower back.

Of course, he _could _have moved, but it did seem rather as if she were trying to keep him in place. Who was he to deny her?

She lowered her legs then, and he took the hint, backing away. He crawled up the length of her body again to settle himself beside her on her right, his body propped up on his left as he looked at her. She immediately turned herself over onto her right side, as well, head propped up on her right hand, arm bent at the elbow. Her left arm rested along her side, hand on her thigh, making zero attempts to conceal even part of her nude body from his appreciative gaze as he looked her up and down.

"This is really real. Everything that's happened these last few days, you returning, us getting married, tonight... This is real." His tone of voice suggested a small part of him was actually trying to remind himself of that fact.

"This is real." she confirmed. "You're not the only one who's dreamt of this moment. I had so many dreams over the last three years, so many fantasies."

He snorted, and offered her an amused smile.

"When you say 'fantasies', you mean hentai stuff, don't you?"

She quirked a brow at him again at his faux holier-than-thou voice. As if she would fall for that tone for even a second; he'd picked up a few good tricks from Miroku, but he'd have to try _way _harder than that.

"Oh please, I bet about 90% of your dreams about me over the last three years turned hentai, too."

He grinned, revealing his fangs, not looking embarrassed in the slightest.

"At _least_."

She laughed softly.

"Wanna share one?" she asked.

He shrugged as best he could while lying on his side.

"We just acted out my favorite, give or take a few minor details. Never really thought about using the babaa's hut, but you coming back, coming back because you chose me over the future, coming back to be my _wife _and us finally acting as husband and wife, that was always my favorite fantasy over the last three years."

"It was definitely up there for me over the last three years, too." Kagome said. "Only really had two recurring themes. Either the well finally let me come back to be with you, or I also fantasized that you'd just show up at my window one evening, telling me the well had finally let _you _pass."

"I had that dream, too." he admitted. "Every time I jumped in the well, I thought about what I would do if it actually let me through to you. How I wouldn't be a coward, and I'd sweep you up in a huge embrace."

"Guess that's one fantasy we won't be able to act out, but I'm okay with that."

"Yeah," he agreed, "me too."

That said, he inched closer and wrapped his right arm around her, pulling her into a sideways embrace. One she immediately returned as best she could, looping her left arm over his body and maneuvering her head to rest on the bicep of his outstretched left arm as she tucked her right arm snugly up between their bodies.

"Cold?" he asked quietly, meaning to inquire if she wanted him to grab a blanket or rearrange the sleeping bag so that they were cocooned within it.

"Nah..." she answered. "Not with you here to keep me warm.

They rested like that in silence for the next few minutes, just relishing in each other's company, until Kagome's stomach growling shattered the tranquility of the moment.

"Oh hell, you didn't have any dinner." Inuyasha stated, slowly disentangling himself from her as he sat up. She sat up as well.

"Neither did you." she pointed out.

He shrugged.

"Yeah, but I'm half youkai, I don't need to eat every night."

She chuckled at that.

"Could've fooled me, as much as you pack away."

He chuckled a little as well at her joking comment, and then surprised her by opening up to her in a simple yet wholly profound way.

"Well, when you've had to survive on your own in the wild since childhood, sometimes going weeks between meals, you learn to scarf down as much food as possible whenever you've got the opportunity."

Her eyes shimmered with sympathy at his admittance, but his nonchalant manner told her it wasn't an open wound that still bothered him any longer. Quickly thinking to lighten the mood, she offered him a playful smile and said, "Well if you're going to go _fishing _again, I wanna watch this time."

He tilted his head back and laughed at the ceiling, a true laugh, and her simple smile erupted into a huge grin at seeing him so genuinely happy.

"Yeah, I just bet you do." he replied, still grinning, fangs poking out past his lips. "Only if you return the favor."

"Deal." she answered without hesitation, and he laughed again, though not quite as boisterously.

He let things get a little quiet again, the slowly dying fire providing the only sound in the room aside from their breathing, and then he leaned forward and kissed her gently on the lips before asking, "Remember your question? If I'd dreamt of you catching me or me catching you?"

She nodded, grinning, only a faint splash of pink on her cheeks.

"Both." he confessed, blushing lightly as well.

"Now those are fantasies we can bring to life," was her answer, "except for mine from back during the shard hunt where you'd come to get me a day early and catch me in my bedroom."

"Yeah...that was one of mine, too..." he confessed, before boldly adding, "I could smell it, you know."

Her cheeks flushed at that, although she wasn't completely mortified because honestly, she'd suspected that he could smell what went on in her bedroom when she was alone. She'd just never expected him to come out and say it. On a few rare occasions, he actually _had _almost caught her. She knew he hadn't. She would have known it if he'd already shown up and was spying on her silently from outside her bedroom window. She'd been able to sense his demonic aura from almost day one; even before she'd learned how to tell his aura apart from other youkai she'd still been able to sense his youki just generally speaking, and so even back when she wouldn't have been able to tell out in the forest if he were approaching her or some random monster was, back in her old bedroom in the future it would've been a little obvious just whose demonic aura she was sensing, had she sensed him at those times.

Instead of commenting on his admittance of being able to smell the lingering scent of whenever she'd pleasured herself, and also deciding not to ask him if that meant he'd smelled it on her just a few days ago when she had done the same thing, Kagome decided to rather obviously change the subject by asking after a clearing of her throat, "So...about those fish..."

He chuckled quietly at that, and said, "If you really want fish, sounds fine to me. I gotta feed you _something_. You might want to put some clothes on first, though, if you really wanna come with me."

Instead of blushing at the reminder of her nakedness she merely nodded her agreement to his logical statement, and as he stood up first she accepted his proffered hand as he reached down to help her stand as well. Inuyasha started to dress but Kagome stopped him, telling him to hold on a moment. Quickly donning her kosode and yukata, sans wrap skirt, Kagome gave one last appreciative look to her nude husband before she darted outside and around to the back of the house, grabbing all their dry laundry, which included his fundoshi. Dressing properly, then, Inuyasha observed the way Kagome casually shed her robes in plain sight, changing instead into her miko ensemble for the convenience a set of hakama provided while riding on his back. It was the logical outfit choice; it was the fact that she had dressed without ducking out of sight that'd caught his immediate notice. He grinned. Things were definitely different now, but definitely in a good way.

"Let's just eat a quick dinner of roasted fish like we did back during the shard hunt." Kagome said as they made their way outside into the night and up the shrine steps. "I don't need any rice tonight or anything else. Let's just get some food in our bellies, and then, it can be time for _dessert_." She whispered that last part with a blatantly obvious seductive twinge, while they were about halfway up the stone staircase.

She didn't have time to gasp as his arms were suddenly around her and then the next thing she knew, after some wind rushing past her, she was standing in the shrine grounds with Inuyasha crouched down in front of her.

"Hurry up, woman! The sooner the better!"

She laughed at that, but obediently climbed onto his back without delay, holding on tight as he made a mad dash for the river.


	21. Wrapped in your arms

Chapter 21 – Wrapped in your arms is where I want to be

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The rest of the night passed by as a blur for hanyou and miko. A happy, satisfying blur.

It hadn't taken Inuyasha that long to catch them two decent sized fish. In favor of going quickly, and not wanting to get his robes soaking wet, he'd stripped naked at the riverbank, much to Kagome's enjoyment. Despite her teasing words and his pleasant laughter at her teasing, though, they'd ended up _not _fooling around on the river's edge. He was pretty much over his aversion to 'taking her' in the wild at that point, especially since now that they'd had their first time within the warmth and security of Kaede's house he was _completely _out of excuses, and he'd even told her to her face that if she honestly tried to seduce him in that moment he knew he wouldn't be able to resist her, but then he'd politely asked her not to at least right there at the river because it wasn't the most private of locations. This was true, Kagome knew, from the fact that it had been in that same spot where their first tender moment on her first night back had been interrupted by nosy neighbors who'd seen and followed them. Neither of them wanted to risk possibly getting caught. He'd promised her they'd still have their hot spring rendezvous in the not too distant future, and she'd been satisfied with that.

Besides, it wasn't as if she had thought their time together in Kaede's hut had come to an end. There _was _her promise of 'dessert', after all, and neither of them had forgotten that as Kagome had held the fish whilst Inuyasha redressed. The cold water had revealed to her that half youkai or no, he wasn't impervious to the natural effect of cold water on the male physique, but she knew _that _would be a matter easily rectified, after they ate.

Stirring the embers in the firepit back to life, it hadn't taken long to roast the scaled and gutted fish. It was just like back in the old days, except back during the shard quest Inuyasha and Kagome hadn't continually made googly eyes at each other all throughout their evening meals.

Once dinner was over, the fire banked for the night, Kagome had headed back over into their corner of the room, playfully beckoning her husband to follow her, and Inuyasha had immediately complied, like a dog obeying his master's call. That analogy had actually popped into Inuyasha's mind, not Kagome's, but he knew it was true and it didn't bother him in the slightest.

Neither did her hands on him as she'd quickly divested him of his clothing before rendering herself equally nude. Lying flat on his back at her request, she'd had him ready in no time, and then she'd carefully crawled over him. It was still a little uncomfortable, but the expressions on his face had been enough to keep her moving in and of themselves. She hadn't gotten to see his face the first time around; not throughout the whole thing, at least, as he'd buried his face in the junction of her neck. Not for their second time. With her sitting up on top of him, he'd been unable to hide his 'O face' from her; it hadn't taken her long at all to see it.

Then Kagome was the one on her back again, Inuyasha 'cleaning up the mess he'd made' as he'd jokingly called it, before they'd redressed and decided to call it a night. Not a bad first time, in either of their options. They were both definitely going to have to thank Kaede in the morning.

oooooooooo

Waking in Inuyasha's arms the next morning, Kagome slowly opened her eyes, and the first thing she saw was a mass of silver hair. She smiled softly. They had fallen asleep facing each other, her on her left and Inuyasha on his right, instead of her turned around and spooned into his embrace. Within the confines of her zipped up sleeping bag she was snuggled into his chest, her arms tucked up against herself, his arms wrapped protectively around her, his chin resting on the top of her head. Her head was pillowed on his right arm near his shoulder, the length of his right arm underneath and around her with his hand up and on her right shoulder, his left arm draped over her with his left hand pressed against her lower back. How he could hold her so tightly, even in his sleep, was a mystery to Kagome until it dawned on the miko that he probably wasn't asleep at all. Training your muscles to stay balanced up on a tree branch as you dozed was one thing, but since he simply _wasn't _used to holding anybody or anything as he slept one could not so easily blame it on trained muscle instinct alone. Although consciously or otherwise, the fact that he clearly felt she was so precious to him truly meant a lot to her.

"You awake?" she whispered ever so quietly then, hoping her words were soft enough that if he really _was_ asleep, she wouldn't wake him.

She needn't have worried, as a softly murmured, "Yeah..." was his immediate response, even though aside from feeling his jaw move slightly against the top of her head as he spoke he didn't otherwise move a single muscle.

And neither did she, as she remained just as she was, held so tenderly in his embrace. Even when her body started whispering to her that she needed to use the bathroom she was reluctant to move. He was actually the one who broke the renewed silence first.

"Did you want to get up?" he asked quietly, figuring that had to have been why she'd been wondering if he was awake or not.

He hadn't actually gotten very much sleep last night, although what little of it he had gotten had felt the most peaceful he could recall in his entire life, even including the previous six nights of Kagome's presence in their world, even including the last three nights before _last _night where he'd held her in his arms. He had not shared with her his everything before bed those previous nights. He had drifted off to sleep more soundly last night than the formally ostracized hanyou would have ever thought possible, and then when he'd woken a few short hours later, well before morning light, the profound realization that it had _not _been a dream had caused him to tighten his sleep-loosened grip on her, refusing to let go.

At least until she woke on her own, that was. He obviously knew that he'd need to let go of her at _some _point.

"In a minute," Kagome murmured in answer to his question, adding, "I just want to enjoy this for a little while longer." She thought of something else and then added, "Unless you need to go on patrol."

His nostrils flared at her statement, which she obviously couldn't see from her angle, although she did notice it as his grip on her seemed to tighten the tiniest bit more.

"I don't gotta patrol _every _morning." It was clear he was just as reluctant to let her go as she was to be released. "We went pretty far yesterday so I'm sure everything's good. If you wanna stay like this I got no complaints. Take as much time as you want, I'll warn ya before Kaede and Rin get back."

"No babaa?" she asked with a soft chuckle, in reference to his dropping of the unflattering suffix, something she knew he only did when he deemed the moment called for a higher level of respect.

"I better not, after last night. Even _I _ain't _that _rude." He chuckled.

His response earned another quiet laugh from the miko as well, but then she was silent again, snuggling herself against him even further if that were possible. She stayed like that for she didn't know how long, completely losing track of time. She didn't fall back asleep, but she told her bodily needs to shove off, finding the utmost contentment in her current position. She probably would have eventually fallen back asleep, which would have been just fine with the hanyou, but it was the gradual increase of sounds of village life coming from outside the window that finally pulled Kagome out of her fantasy bubble and back into reality. It was only a matter of time before Kaede and Rin actually did return, she knew, and if the sounds of farmers getting a start on their morning work was anything to go by, it would be sooner rather than later, as she and Inuyasha had apparently missed the standard time for breakfast.

Finally murmuring that she supposed they'd better get up and eat something – and she _really_ needed to use the latrine by that point – Kagome was changed out of her pajamas and back into her yukata (with modern panties, thank goodness) before Kaede and Rin got back home. When the elderly miko and her young ward did return Kagome was quick to exchange standard pleasantries of greeting with the duo. Inuyasha lost his tongue for a brief moment, and flushed crimson as soon as Kaede looked his way, her good eye sparkling knowingly, but to his credit he didn't say anything rude, merely muttering a quiet "Keh" in agreement after Kagome spoke up first and sincerely thanked Kaede for giving them a night to themselves.

Quickly deciding to change the subject after a brief reassurance that it'd been no trouble at all on her part, the elderly miko asked her young apprentice what she and her husband had on their agenda for that day, and if she wanted more lessons or if she'd like to take the day off. Kaede suspected the latter from Kagome's choice of dress, and soon learned she'd been correct, as the future-born miko politely told her sensei that she'd just like to spend her time with Inuyasha that day. They should touch base with the builders again, especially since the itinerant carpenters would be arriving soon, and then besides that, she thought she might like to go for a quiet walk for a while out in the forest.

This was news to Inuyasha, although he did a good job not acting either surprised or anxious. Kaede correctly assumed they weren't going far as Kagome opted not to arm herself or bring any supplies. With her and Inuyasha's dishes from breakfast cleaned up and a quiet promise that they'd take care of their own lunch but would be back in time for dinner, hanyou and miko were out the door.

Checking in with the builders didn't take long at all, the men already hard at work. Inuyasha promised to check in with them regularly to see if anybody needed anything, and then he and Kagome headed further into the forest, disappearing past what would be their backyard once their house was built. Once he knew they were out of sight Inuyasha was actually the one who reached over and grabbed Kagome's hand in his, surprising the miko, but gazing her husband's way, Kagome gladly threaded her fingers with his as the two of them walked slowly without a destination in mind, merely enjoying each other's company. Their topic of conversation varied greatly as they walked, discussing everything from more of their sexual fantasies throughout the years to Kagome saying she'd learn how to make noodles so that she could simulate ramen. That earned a laugh from her husband, and while the talk of their fantasies temporarily got him a little excited they didn't detour from their casual stroll. He did however decide that they needed to go to the hot spring the following day, first thing in the morning, which earned a laugh from Kagome that time. They also discussed what, if anything, they needed to get on the upcoming Market Day besides her quiver and fletching, and she said they could start buying a few of the smaller necessities they'd ultimately need for their house so that it wouldn't be such an all-consuming chore to buy _everything _once the house was actually built and needed to be made move-in ready.

"I should probably also see if I can make a deal with one or more of the peddlers, get a trade going so that I'll have a more steady source of income than just occasional youkai slaying," Inuyasha said, "and unlike the bouzu, I won't cheat nobody."

"That's a very good idea." Kagome readily agreed.

As early afternoon rolled around they decided to set up a quick campsite for a late lunch, Kagome in charge of the fire while Inuyasha tracked down and caught a rabbit. Although she hadn't brought her bow she had her leather pouch with her flint and fire steel and Kagome was rightfully proud of herself that by the time her husband came back with his catch already skinned and gutted she had the campfire made and waiting.

Lunch was peaceful, and then deciding they'd better get back to the village before it got too much later they turned and headed back the way they came, with one brief detour when Kagome said she could sense a very faint lingering essence of darkness off in the distance. Puzzled, Inuyasha agreed to let her lead the way, especially since she said it didn't feel like either jyaki or shouki. He could smell youkai much more easily than he could actually sense them with his demonic sixth sense, the two senses usually linked into one in his mind whenever dealing with a threat, but he trusted Kagome's miko senses without question and so when she told him she sensed no demonic auras in the area outside of his own he believed and trusted her fully, unconcerned as he followed her lead despite the fact that they were headed downwind.

They were both surprised when it dawned on them that their destination was that old abandoned Buddhist temple.

Carefully walking through the dilapidated structure, Kagome realized Inuyasha hadn't been kidding when he'd told her before that the place was literally falling apart. It didn't take her long to realize the lingering darkness she could feel was coming from the troubled spirits of the three dead bandits. They reminded her of Mayu-chan, except these ghosts were not powerful enough to manifest themselves visually.

"Can you help them?" Inuyasha asked after she explained what she was feeling, and his tone of voice, and the fact that he didn't sound put out in the slightest and instead actually sounded optimistic, in no way insinuating that she shouldn't bother trying to help them, really meant a lot to Kagome.

"I think so."

Closing her eyes, Kagome concentrated until she could feel them. Her lips quirked up in amusement.

"What?"

"They're afraid of me." she answered, a hint of humor in her voice.

"Feh, as well they should be." Inuyasha muttered, although his tone still did not imply he thought she should leave them to their limbo.

Kagome shook her head, eyes still closed, trying not to smile as she concentrated. After all, these men _had _captured her, but they hadn't known at the time that their leader was dead, a puppet for the shibugarasu, and they hadn't _personally_ tried to kill her. A lesser person might hold a grudge, but she was not that person.

As a bright purplish glow suddenly appeared around her Inuyasha didn't even have time to react before he realized he was within her aura, her light delicately dancing off his body as he stood protectively by her side, but because the energy she was emitting was focused on calming unsettled ghosts it offered him no harm. He stared at her, eyes open in awe, as she began speaking in soothing, quiet words to the invisible spirits, begging them to forgive themselves and to let themselves move on peacefully. The show only lasted a moment, and then her light retracted and she opened her eyes to meet Inuyasha's gaze with a huge grin showing her teeth. He didn't need to ask her if she'd been successful.

That little show gave them a whole new topic of conversation during the rest of their walk back to the village. Inuyasha first asked Kagome just how powerful she really was, to which she shrugged and stated honestly that she didn't know, although she snorted and wholeheartedly disagreed when he told her she was probably the most powerful miko of all time. She was sure she wasn't near as powerful as Midoriko, she argued, and he relented to that but then immediately told her that she was _definitely _more powerful than Kikyou, and those words really meant a lot to her. The whole Kikyou thing was water under the bridge for both of them, as far as where his feelings lied, but despite all that Kikyou had been a very powerful miko, she knew, and to hear him so assuredly reaffirm his belief that she was now _more _powerful made her feel pride in herself. She imagined it was like how Inuyasha had felt when he'd mastered Tessaiga and surpassed his father in power. She didn't care whether or no there were other miko out there more powerful than her, just as there were surely some daiyoukai out there more powerful than Inuyasha (although she'd bet he was evenly matched with Sesshoumaru those days), but the fact that she was more powerful than _Kikyou_, her own previous past-life, meant that her soul was growing and improving, and surely everyone wanted to believe that they were progressing positively through life with each new lifetime they lived.

The rest of the walk back was spent discussing the various things she should start learning how to do with Kaede and Miroku as far as focusing her powers even more. Even though she was a natural, there were a few things she didn't know how to do, like make solid barriers. They both imagined that with a little practice, she could master that ability just as easily as her purifying arrows. Kagome didn't think she was strong enough to actually conjure up a _true _solid barrier, capable of keeping _everything _out, even non-demonic things, but learning how to make barriers that could at least deflect demonic attacks instead of automatically purifying them was a very good idea, indeed.

Finally making it back, they stopped at their future home site again for a moment, and as Inuyasha spoke with the woodworker he agreed to bring a few large, sturdy trees to use as beams in preparation for the frame builders. Heading back to Kaede's, then, Kagome was given a couple of hours to herself as Inuyasha said he'd go take care of those trees and then bring them back a couple of nice fish in time for dinner. She smirked at him, not saying a word, and chuckling, he leaned in and promised in a quiet whisper that he would _just _catch the fish. He winked and she giggled, and then he was out the door.

Kaede gave Kagome an amused, questioning look, but she waved off the unasked question and the elderly miko knew better than to pry into what was clearly a private joke. Rin was sewing in the corner, not paying the two miko that much attention, but that changed in that moment as Kagome scooted herself over and asked Rin to show her what she was doing, explaining to the child that she didn't know how to sew and was going to need to learn. Rin blinked in surprise at the request but then smiled, and handed her sewing over to Kagome. It was just some more repair work on her old yukata, since she'd gotten another tear; it was the perfect thing for Kagome to practice on because Rin told her she didn't mind it if the stitches weren't perfect, admitting that sometimes her own stitches weren't perfect, either.

"Rin hasn't needed to learn how to cut and sew a new yukata because Sesshoumaru-sama gives Rin new clothing whenever I need it, but I will show you what I know." she said, in her cute way of talking that made Kagome smile. It was an informative lesson.

True to his word, Inuyasha was back with the fish in time for dinner. With Rin's sewing completed she and Kagome had been assisting Kaede with the beginnings of dinner preparation when he walked in the door with the fish already scaled and gutted. Dinner conversation consisted mostly of Kagome asking him how many trees he'd brought to the build site and her expressing her anticipation to see the framework and roof beams start to go up, so that it'll actually start looking like a house rather than just a massive patch of cleaned and hard packed earth. Inuyasha immediately agreed, and said from experience that he knew the builders would probably benefit from his assistance, although he then added that they were going to have to be on their own for tomorrow, at least, because he and Kagome had plans to be gone _all _day.

Instead of blushing at his brazen comment, said right in front of Kaede and Rin, Kagome smoothly played along to keep the topic of conversation seemingly innocent, even though she figured Rin probably knew _exactly _what they were talking about. Agreeing with him nonetheless that they had that very large 'perimeter check' to do the following day – nudge nudge wink wink – it wasn't long after dinner when Inuyasha suggested Kagome get ready for bed, because he planned on getting her up _early_.

Going to bed that night, it was a reprisal of the first three nights of their marriage, hanyou and miko doing nothing more than a tender kiss goodnight despite the privacy screen that visually concealed them from the other occupants of the room. Rolling over, Kagome again lied spooned in Inuyasha's embrace, her back to his chest. She was very comfortable, but found it hard to fall asleep from a sense of anticipation. She was looking forward to tomorrow. She knew that logically the sooner she fell asleep, the sooner it would _be _tomorrow, but knowing that didn't stop her mind from racing, the possibilities virtually endless.

It was over an hour later, with Kaede and Rin both sound asleep, that Inuyasha murmured in her ear, just a quiet whisper, "Get some sleep, wench. I'm not kidding about us leaving early."

"I know," she whispered back, explaining, "I can't help it. I'm too excited."

This earned a quiet chuckle from the hanyou, the vibration in his chest giving Kagome an idea. More accurately, it reminded her of one of her earliest daydreams.

"I don't suppose you can make some kind of a steady, low growling vibration in your chest that would lull me to sleep?"

He quirked a brow at the back of her head.

"The fuck? Like a _purr?"_ he asked incredulously. "I'm a _dog_, remember? I don't purr." He chuckled again. "Where'd you get such a weird idea?"

He'd wanted to call it a _stupid _idea, but proving again that he had indeed matured over the years he'd thought better of it and managed to censor himself before putting his foot in his mouth.

Kagome could tell from his tone what he'd actually been thinking, of course, but instead of getting offended or _too _embarrassed, she merely chuckled as well and shrugged her shoulders helplessly. Had she been facing him, she would have given him a sheepish smile.

"I dunno...it's one of my first fantasies about you, from back when I was barely fifteen. The sexual fantasies came a few months later, but in the beginning, before I regularly had more adult things on the mind, I used to daydream of you just holding me in your arms all night long, up in a tree, making some kind of weird growling...okay yeah a _purring _sound, but it was an inu-youkai thing, you'd said, and it was soothing and it'd put me to sleep. I guess it's 'cause Buyo used to sleep on my chest a lot and his purring always put me to sleep, so I was transposing it onto you."

He snorted, amused, and tightened his arms around her a little bit.

"The up all night in a tree part ain't a problem. I can growl if you _want _me to, but it'll sound like a growl, not a purr."

"I've heard you growl." she acknowledged. Her voice, as quiet as it was so as not to wake the others, took on a naughty edge, and she added, "I've heard you _howl_."

He chuckled again.

"Tomorrow, you can hear both, but first you need to _sleep_."

"I'll try."

Sleep did eventually claim the miko, and when Inuyasha roused her dark and early the next morning, even though she was groggy for that split second it took to remember what was going on, her anticipation immediately had her bouncing upright into a sitting position, wide awake, once she realized what day it was. He chuckled quietly at her eagerness, and then let her go about getting ready for their outing. It was going to be like a mini vacation, and she planned on treating it as such. Dressing in her miko robes, she grabbed her trusty yellow backpack, going through it and bringing the few supplies she figured they needed, leaving the other stuff in Kaede's storage chest for safe keeping. First and foremost, she rolled up and stuffed in her sleeping bag. This would _definitely _be an overnight trip. Besides that, since they were going to the hot spring she definitely figured she might as well bring her soap. It _had _been a few days since her bath at Sango and Miroku's house, and although she knew she'd eventually have to switch over to whatever was used for soap in that time period once her modern bar was depleted she figured it didn't hurt anything to enjoy using up the last of her modern soap while it lasted. She was looking forward to bathing her husband with it.

Staying as quiet as possible so as not to accidentally wake Kaede and Rin while she puttered around getting ready, they were just rousing on their own by the time Kagome was ready to go, and so she and Inuyasha bid them good morning and then immediately announced that they were heading out for a long patrol, and that they would be staying out overnight because of how far out they were going, so they shouldn't be expected back until some time after breakfast the following day. Kaede waved them off and told them to have a good time at the hot spring, not fooled for a second, and blushing and sputtering, Inuyasha said that they _were _doing a border patrol, first, but then he merely chuckled as Kagome laughed as well and left the hut with a final "See ya tomorrow."

oooooooooo

"I'll get the fire ready while you hunt." Kagome said as she immediately started preparing a spot in the earth for a campfire as soon as she slid off Inuyasha's back.

They had indeed gone on a genuine border patrol first and foremost, which had fortunately gone smoothly although Kagome was again armed with Kaede's borrowed arrows, just in case. Inuyasha felt he should try to do his perimeter checks at least every other day. Besides checking for any possible encroaching threat, it kept his scent strong at their borders, which would actually help to detour lower youkai in and of itself. Kagome didn't mind it. Until she had her own morning miko duties to keep herself occupied she would gladly accompany him on his patrols.

Their borders were thankfully free of threats that morning, and after the check was completed Inuyasha had made a beeline for the hot spring. While en route he'd promised Kagome he'd hunt them down something to eat, since they'd opted to leave Kaede's that morning before breakfast. She had no complaints. Their time alone together wasn't _only _about sex, after all. She just liked being alone with him, just generally speaking, and she was definitely hungry.

"Keh, look at you, becoming a fire master." Inuyasha praised as he watched Kagome work for a moment. "Keep your bow ready." he instructed then.

"Always." she replied, her bow and arrows off her back along with her backpack but lying right beside her, well within reach.

In less than a week she'd have her own quiver and wouldn't need to borrow her sensei's any longer. She was looking forward to that. She hadn't taken _all _of Kaede's arrows, of course; the elderly miko kept more on hand at any given time than her quiver could actually hold, _just in case_, which Kagome found reassuring because at least she knew she hadn't rendered the poor woman defenseless in her absence, even though she also knew there were no rouge youkai anywhere within sensing range thanks to their patrol. It just didn't feel right, to her, having to borrow Kaede's quiver and arrows like that; she was definitely looking forward to having her own set. The bow from Mt. Azusa was unquestionably hers, and she could feel the bow hum happily against her aura every time they were near. It had definitely accepted her as its mistress. She was already powerful in her own right, as was Inuyasha, but having a bow with its own spiritual powers, she was like Inuyasha armed with Tessaiga; it made her that much _more _powerful and although she didn't really like to think about it from a self-centered way, it did relax her mind to know that she could definitely defend herself should trouble arise.

It didn't take long for Inuyasha to return with their breakfast in hand. He apologized for being in such a hurry that morning that they hadn't stayed at Kaede's until getting a more decent meal inside their bellies, but she immediately waved off his concerns. It was fun, for Kagome, eating meat that she'd roasted over a campfire, no accompaniments like rice or vegetables needed. It was just like back during the quest days, or at least quest days when she'd ran out of instant ramen. Their pot of boiled drinking water was already cooling away from the fire as she set about cooking up the small animal Inuyasha had captured, and she assured him that it was plenty of food. Yes, on the grand scale of things she would become unhealthy on a diet of meat alone, but for just a couple of days while out camping it wouldn't hurt anything.

"You are a good provider, Inuyasha." she assured him, meeting his eyes with a look of sincerity in her own.

He blushed and looked away, mumbling a quiet "Keh" under his breath while she cooked the meat.

Once it was done, and breakfast eaten, it was time to acknowledge the primary purpose for their little camping trip. The hot spring. Tossing her bones into the fire, Kagome stood, and slipped off her sandals. "I don't know about you," she said, "but I could use a bath."

Tossing the bones from his half of the critter into the fire as well, Inuyasha sat Tessaiga aside and rose to his feet, moving to stand directly in front of her. "Sounds like a good idea." he agreed, as he reached forward and gently began untying the first knot on her miko robes.

Smirking, Kagome didn't object to his action, and instead merely reached forward and began unfastening his robes as well. She had his suikan tugged out of his hakama and opened at about the same time he did the same to her chihaya, and then they each took a moment to remove their own outer jackets and fold them properly with their obi, setting them aside on a fallen log where they wouldn't get dirty, the pair's leather sagemono pouches each going beside their outer robes. Kagome sat down on the same log for a moment to remove her tabi, then, setting them gently atop her sandals once they were off, and Inuyasha took advantage of the moment to squat down and unfasten the ties around his ankles. With his hakama legs billowing out around his feet like Kagome's, he ignored the odd sensation of not having them cinched as he closed the gap between himself and his miko bride and assisted her to stand back up before pulling her into a tender embrace.

Kagome returned the hug, but pulled back after a moment, offering him a sultry smile as she reached for the ties of her own hakama. He smiled tenderly back at her and reached out with his right hand, cupping hers and stilling her movements.

"Let me..." he whispered in her ear as he leaned forward, his warm breath making her shiver in delight as goosebumps erupted on her neck and arms, and then his hands replaced her own, slowly unfastening her pants, and she let her hands rest at her sides, allowing him to work unhindered.

It didn't take long for him to get her hakama undone, and he chuckled at the expression she gave him when he let them drop to her feet in a whoosh of material, one eyebrow raised in amusement. Shaking her head, she demurely stepped out of the puddled red fabric, picking her hakama up and shaking them out before folding them and setting them atop her chihaya. She knew better than to make a grab for the thin obi that held her kosode closed, and again stood still to allow Inuyasha to unfasten her under robe for her. Slowly, almost reverently, he untied her final belt, letting it drop to the grass as well as the sides of her kosode lazily fell open, revealing hints of her modern white bra and panties underneath. Reaching up, he tenderly brushed the sides of her kosode down her shoulders, and Kagome allowed the under robe to fall with a quiet swoosh onto the grass behind her.

He stared at her quietly for a moment, the look in his eyes definitely appreciative. Even after having already seen her completely naked, and in fact doing much more with her than just looking, she was still so very beautiful to his eyes, and there was certainly something to be said about the teasing way in which her futuristic undergarments revealed everything and yet concealed _just _enough. It was a tantalizing view that left him aching for more.

He reached up with both hands, mind set to cup her cotton covered breasts, but she raised her hands and stopped him in that moment, gently gripping both his wrists.

"My turn..." she murmured seductively, and he let his hands drop to his sides, then, nodding his compliance.

First she quickly folded up her kosode with its obi, placing the undershirt on top of her other clothing. Then, mirroring his previous actions, she let his hakama fall once she had them unfastened, although instead of him putting them away she was the one who bent down to retrieve them as he stepped out of the rumpled fabric, folding them and setting them atop his suikan. She then made quick work of his kosode, taking the loosened obi and folding it up in her hands a few times instead of letting it drop to the ground as his opened undershirt revealed hints of bare chest and stomach. Changing things up, she stepped around him then, and he stood still where he was, allowing her to come up behind him. He felt her hands on his shoulders, and he shifted his arms just enough to assist her as she slid his kosode down his arms, draping the robe over her own arm as she removed it from his person, admiring her few of his backside. His back wasn't concealed for long as she swept his mass of silver mane over his shoulder, and after quickly folding and setting aside his kosode and its belt she returned, running both hands up and down the smooth, strong muscles of his back. Muscles she had felt the night before last but hadn't seen.

Feeling her hands roam all over his back, Inuyasha closed his eyes and exhaled slowly, trying to keep his raging hormones under control. A part of him wanted to whirl around, grab her, rip her remaining clothes off and have his way with her, but he tamped those desires down to allow her this moment of quiet exploration. It was only fair, he knew, as he realized that she was just as mesmerized by his body as he was of hers. When he felt her hands slide further down and cup his bare ass cheeks, though, he chuckled and decided that he'd given her enough time to play. Now, it was his turn again.

Kagome was not surprised when Inuyasha turned around to face her shortly after she'd grabbed his ass. She couldn't help it! His fundoshi was wrapped so...perfectly. A Feudal era thong. He looked absolutely delicious in it.

Although he'd look even _more _delicious out of it.

Things were about to get interesting.

"Okay, now it's my turn again." Inuyasha spoke up, his voice notably rougher than normal.

Kagome didn't stop him that time as he reached up and captured her bra covered breasts with both hands, palming and squeezing gently for a few brief moments. His patience was wearing thin.

"Okay, how does this thing come off?" he asked, giving it a few experimental tugs.

Kagome giggled, and reaching up to pull his hands away, she turned around, pulling her hair over her right shoulder before then reaching behind herself with both hands, unhooking the bra herself but slowly enough for him to see how the fastener worked. She then turned back around again, facing him, and held her arms raised a few inches out at her sides, her look expectant. Inuyasha immediately understood, and feeling emboldened, reached forward with both hands and slowly, delicately, brushed her bra straps down her arms. Removing her covering, he paused for a moment, mesmerized by the sight, but he quickly pulled her bra free the rest of the way and even managed to haphazardly fold it and place it gently on her pile of clothing rather than tossing it to the ground in his haste.

With him dressed only in his fundoshi, she wearing only her modern equivalent to the same garment, they stared deeply into each other's eyes. They were each aware of how excited the other person was; Inuyasha's desire was visible to Kagome's eyes while hers was just as obvious to his powerful nose. It was a silent stalemate for a moment, neither moving forward, each waiting to see if the other person intended on making the next move. Finally, Kagome was actually the one who snapped into action first, in a way Inuyasha would never have suspected. After all her previous guilt over the rosary, and all the times he'd had to reassure her that he didn't mind it, it was in that moment that she reached up with her right hand and grabbed the beads tightly, using them to yank him down into a fierce kiss. He actually almost stumbled, she'd managed to catch him so thoroughly by surprise, but he quickly wrapped his arms around her and returned the kiss with equal vigor.

All worries about rosaries and subduing commands were the furthest thing from the miko's mind as her demonic husband kissed her passionately, and his hands did _not _remain in neutral territory, eagerly reacquainting himself with her bare flesh. Breaking apart for air after a moment, he gave her barely enough time to gulp in the much needed substance and then he was kissing her again, his hands slowly creeping down to work their way into the waistband of her panties, tugging them further down her hips. Her hands had similar ideas, as they slipped down and began fiddling with the folded over fabric of his loincloth. Things were just getting started.


	22. Hot Spring Time Machine

Chapter 22 – Hot Spring Time Machine

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Feeling Kagome expose him, the cool air not doing much to sooth his heated flesh, Inuyasha didn't stop his wife as she reached for him with her right hand, his undone fundoshi clutched in her left. Instead, he removed his hands from where they'd been inching down her panties and moved his left up to her chest while his right hand yanked back, not _too _hard, on a fistful of hair, tilting her head back as his lips and tongue attacked her throat.

She gasped, her hand stilling as she lost her ability to concentrate. She could feel how eager he was, but rather than seeking out his own satisfaction he used his desire to fuel his assault on her, instead. Inuyasha knew by that point exactly where her most sensitive spots were, and it didn't take him long at all to hit every single one. Kagome shuddered and moaned, her eyes pinched tightly closed as he teased her body. He chuckled against the side of her neck, and then slowly began working his way lower. He trailed his tongue along her collarbone, down her chest, and then lowering himself to his knees, her hand releasing him in the process, he teased her bellybutton before coming face to 'face' with her last bit of clothing.

She barely had time to blink open her eyes and look down at him in puzzlement of why nothing was happening, before he buried his nose against her, inhaling deeply. She tried not to giggle, but the sensation was ticklish. His ears flicked at the sound of her muffled laughter, but he took no offense, smirking up at her. Then, his hands were back at the sides of her panties, his eyes questioning, and she gave him a silent nod to continue. She placed her hands on his shoulders for balance as she stepped out of them, and then Inuyasha rose to his feet and took his fundoshi from her, placing both of their final garments aside on the log beside all their other clothing.

Watching Inuyasha as he moved about their small campsite, Kagome felt a fire burning from deep within, but despite her internal heat the air was rather chilly, the dappled light peaking in through the thick cover of the forest not providing much in the way of warmth. Their cooking fire was reduced to smoldering embers by that point. She thought about stirring the literal flames back to life, but then changed her mind, deciding their campfire could be revived later; it was time to fan their metaphorical flames, instead.

It was also time to get into the hot water, because internal fires aside, she was starting to get cold standing there in the damp shade.

Slipping slowly into the steaming pool, then, Kagome could feel Inuyasha's eyes burning into her from behind, his gaze on her body warming her up almost as much as the heated water. Making her way over to the large, smooth stone that had always been her favorite place to sit in this particular spring, she turned around and had a seat, and then it was her turn to stare. He still hadn't moved a muscle, his eyes locking with hers as she turned to face him. She was just about to break the silence, to ask him what he was doing still just standing there and wave for him to come join her in the water, when he was suddenly the one who spoke first.

"So, in this hot spring fantasy of yours, you would be alone in the spring until I showed up, and then what?" he asked.

Licking her lips, she quickly decided to answer his question.

"I would gasp in surprise, pretending I was startled by your presence even though you and I both knew I'd felt you coming, and then you'd tell me how you knew I wanted you, that you wanted me too and couldn't stay away a moment longer, and then I'd-"

"I know you want me," he interrupted, the look in his eyes turning feral, "I want you, too. I couldn't stay away from you one moment longer."

Kagome's eyes sparkled in the dappled light, her pulse quickening in her veins. Acting out what she'd just been about to tell him she'd always fantasized as her next move in this scenario, she rose from her seat, standing boldly in the waist-deep water.

"Then come to me, lover," she said, raising her arms out in a show of open invitation, "come and have me."

With his gaze almost piercing right through her, Inuyasha stalked slowly towards the water's edge at her words, stepping into the pool with purpose. Had her body and mind not both been so heated by a combination of the water and her desire for him that she'd lost most higher brain function then she might have wondered humorously at how it was that he could enter such a hot pool of water without so much as flinching. There was no way Souta had had the bath water any hotter than this spring. But the fact of the matter was, Inuyasha had visited this spring himself plenty of times over the last three years, so while he hadn't previously cared for hot water and her little brother had definitely surprised him back then with the intense temperature, he'd since gotten used to it. In fact he used to come here and think back to the times when she'd bathed in this spring during the shard quest. Getting naked in the same water where she had previously been naked, sitting on the same stone he knew she had used as her seat, had been as close as he'd been able to get to her at the time. He'd never actually kicked himself for failing to act on any real missed opportunities since Kagome herself had never in actuality braved sending Sango alone back to camp ahead of her, so Kagome had never in real life given Inuyasha such a setup to either ignore or act upon, but that hadn't stopped him from daydreaming over the last three years. Sometimes he sat in the water and pretended she had come back to him, a 'happy reunion' fantasy as Kagome had previously called it. Other times, he'd simply gaze down at the pool from one of the nearby trees and imagine her bathing within it, all by herself, as if it were still the shard quest days but the rest of their ragtag group was nowhere to be found.

Kagome's mind had gone on a similar journey in that moment, as they'd acted out a brief bit of dialog from her old daydreams. In that moment, it was as if she'd traveled back in time. Well, okay, so she _had _traveled back in time, through the well, but this was different. In that moment, in that hot spring, it was as if she'd traveled even further back, another three years on top of the last five hundred. It was like she was back in their quest days. In that moment, as she took in the scenery around her, it was easy to lose herself and make-believe they were still out collecting jewel shards, and that Inuyasha really had responded to the invitation she'd never quite been brave enough to give him. It was amazing how much had actually changed in just a few short years.

Why think back on old daydreams, though, when the real thing was right there? They were alone, just the two of them, naked in the spring together, and they were married. This was a much better scenario than her old fantasies, where a nosy kitsune or perverted houshi could have theoretically interrupted them at any moment. Inuyasha had similar thoughts, knowing that the reason the rest of their ragtag group was nowhere to be found was because they were back at the village, because it was three years later and he and his _wife _were here all by themselves.

Closing the gap between them, then, he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her into a kiss so heated it made the water feel cool by comparison.

Kagome didn't hesitate to respond with gusto. While her higher brain functions had left her and Inuyasha alone long ago, telling her they'd wait for her back at camp, that in no way hindered her from remembering how to kiss, and she kissed her husband silly in that moment. Her hands did not stay idle, as she ran them all over his body, down the smooth, lean muscles of his chest and back. Finally reaching his bare buttocks she cupped his cheeks and squeezed, earning a deep, rumbling chuckle from her hanyou husband.

"You and my ass..." he commented offhandedly, clearly not bothered in the slightest.

"It's over three years in the making, but I finally have you just how I want you." she said with a small chuckle of her own.

He pulled back enough to quirk a brow at her.

"Naked and wet?" he asked, teasing.

"Yup." she teased back.

Releasing his backside, she reached down with her right hand, wrapping her fingers back around his front, and he closed his eyes and hissed in pleasure at the contact, all thoughts of continuing to joke and tease fleeing from his mind faster than the steam rose from the water's surface. A surface that suddenly wasn't as smooth and transparent as it'd used to be, the movements of Kagome's hand causing ripples that, coupled with the low light of the canopy above, made it difficult to see what she was doing. Not that she really needed to see what she was doing in that moment, remembering vividly how it was done, although using her hand wasn't really what she'd had in mind this time around.

"Come're..." she murmured then, giving him a playful tug that was strong enough to let him know she wanted him to walk forward, like it was a leash.

It was an appropriate analogy in his mind. He was already her lapdog; had been ever since she'd first released him from the Goshinboku, he just hadn't admitted it back then. Now, so long as she kept playing with his _lap_, he would follow her anywhere.

Stifling a giggle at the goofy expression on his face as he wordlessly complied with her request, Kagome walked him to a rocky protrusion in the spring's wall that was only a few inches below the water's surface, and more importantly, was only about a foot wide and long. It was the perfect little pedestal for her purposes.

"Here, sit up on here," she said as she released him and gestured to the rock shelf, "legs on either side, like riding a horse."

It wouldn't do her any good if she couldn't get herself in between his legs, after all.

Quirking a brow, but eager to comply with her wishes, Inuyasha nodded and got himself up on the rock how she wanted him. The water only came up about mid thigh, the rest of him on full display out of the water. Seeing the way her eyes immediately focused in on that specific part of him, he smirked.

Smirking back, she contemplated him for a moment longer, and then reaching forward, she finally decided to brave doing that one thing she hadn't done yet. His eyes widened in surprise at the unexpected but wholly welcomed sight. He had just enough time to think _Oh shit! _and then he was learning just how talented her tongue really was.

"Oh _fuuuuuccckkk_..." he groaned, his eyes closing as his head tilted back, his claws digging into the rock wall behind him for support.

Grinning to herself at his reaction, Kagome immediately felt braver and _really _got to work. Naughtily, she thought back to her practice days with large freezer pops, deliberately eating the summer treats without using her teeth. She'd only eaten them that way in private, of course, after participating in conversations with her three girlfriends where they'd mentioned doing the real thing, but now she was very grateful for the practice. If the sounds her hanyou husband were making were any indication, he was grateful for her practice, as well. He might not taste as good as a cherry freezer pop, but he definitely didn't taste bad, and for his sake, she would make believe he was the most delicious dessert of all time.

"Ho-_oly _f-fuck, h-how did you...oh!" he tried to ask brokenly.

"Hearsay and my imagination." she answered, pulling away to smirk up at him, his eyes back open and head tilted down to stare at her in wonder. "You aren't the only one with animal instincts, you know."

"I..." he started to say, whatever comment he'd been about to make immediately being ripped from him as she got back to work, his words turning into a canine whine, his grip on the rock tightening.

He managed to keep his eyes open that time, and he watched, transfixed, helpless. In all the countless times he'd pleasured himself, and even when she'd done it for him, it had been in mockery of the real thing, of when he'd been joined with her, and at that time, when he'd lied with her, he'd thought that nothing could possibly feel better than the real thing. Now, though, as impossible as it seemed, he was starting to question his assuredness of that belief. Perhaps this wasn't _better_, but it was _different_, and that was what made it better at least in that precise moment, because it was something else new he had still never before experienced. He hoped she'd never make him choose which one he preferred more, because that was a choice he didn't want to have to make.

She knew he was watching her, could feel his eyes upon her, and so she was making sure to give him a show he'd never forget. Tilting her gaze upward, Kagome met his eyes even as she continued what she was doing, and as their eyes locked he nearly lost it right then and there. He'd lost the ability to speak long ago, the sounds coming out of him almost purely canine whines and whimpers. There were a few more human sounding gasps and moans thrown into the mix, but they were vastly outnumbered, and he just knew the faces he was making would have her laughing if her mouth wasn't so full; in that moment, he didn't even care.

Why he had ever thought for even a moment that she might have a problem with his appearance was beyond him. Watching what she was doing, her eyes smiling as she continued to hold his gaze, the hanyou knew in that moment that this was true love. Even if he hadn't already known she loved him, this act alone would have spelled it out for him. This went _way _beyond 'wifely duty' and there was no way to ignore just how much she was clearly _enjoying _it. _She _was enjoying it; she wasn't just doing it because she felt like she had to or that he wanted her to, but because _she _wanted to. She wanted to do this for him, to pleasure him, because she loved him. He just knew she was getting off on all of the various sounds he was unable to stop himself from making, just as he'd enjoyed listening to all of the sounds she'd made back when their roles had been reversed. Oh, he was _definitely _going to pay her back for this, big time. She would lose her voice, he'd make her scream so loud. In the meantime, though, it was all he could do to force himself to gasp out a broken semblance of warning, just in case she didn't want to swallow his release. He wouldn't take it personally or hold it against her if she didn't.

"K-kag-g...Mmm 'G-gome I...I'm gonna...ahh..."

Still looking right at him, her only response was to hum an affirmative "MmmHmm..." against him, indicating she'd already known he was close, and the vibration from her humming was the final straw right then and there, his eyes pinching shut as he threw his head back and _howled_.

Kagome had been mentally psyching herself up; she'd heard conflicting stories. She hadn't been worried that he'd feel insecure if she pulled away, as if his mixed heritage had anything to do with it, but even so, she'd told herself that if she loved him, and especially because she'd volunteered rather than him having asked her to, that she could do this for him. She _wanted _to do this for him. As she both felt and heard him completely lose himself, his howl echoing loudly throughout the surrounding forest, she didn't pull away. This was why she'd wanted to wait until they were at the hot spring to try it. Pulling back after a moment, she gargled and spat a few mouthfuls of water. Inuyasha was still too far gone to pay any attention to what she was doing right then, every nerve in his body tingling merrily as he slumped against his rock seat, prying his claws out of the stone behind him, panting heavily.

By the time he tilted his head back down and cracked his eyes open to peer at her through heavy lids, Kagome was smiling playfully at him, blinking her eyes innocently, and he broke out into a huge grin at her expression, laughing stupidly. Pulling himself off of his rock seat almost drunkenly, Inuyasha sloshed into the water and pulled his wife into a tight hug.

"Only you could give me _that _kind of an innocent face after doing something so _dirty_." he backhandedly complimented, and it was Kagome's turn to laugh at his words.

"I didn't hear you complaining." she said after a moment, sounding smug.

He pretended to look shocked.

"Complain?! Hell no!"

They both laughed.

"Hell, woman. You can do that _whenever _you want."

She smirked seductively, and retorted, "So can you."

It was his turn to adopt a seductive expression.

"Oh, I intend to."

That said, his hands were tight on her hips, and the next thing Kagome knew she was hoisted out of the water and lying flat on her back in the dirt, her legs still dangling in the pool at the knees. Her back was instantly muddy, but that was nothing another dunk in the water wouldn't fix. Right in that moment, lying dripping wet in the dirt and grass was the last thing on her mind, as her demonic husband returned the favor.

It was several orgasms later before he let her wash the mud off.

Retrieving her bar of soap once the fun and games came to a close, hanyou and miko then enjoyed the simpler pleasure of washing each other. Kagome at first playfully lamented not having any shampoo, unable to wash her hair properly, but she quickly decided it wasn't nearly that important after all when Inuyasha told her he'd never really liked her scented hair soaps because they masked her natural scent. They'd smelled pretty enough, they hadn't really bothered his nose per se, but they'd prevented her from smelling wholly of _Kagome_. She quickly decided she was glad there hadn't been any leftover shampoo or conditioner in her backpack.

Finally deciding to get out of the water before Kagome's human skin turned into one giant wrinkle, they each washed their own undergarments and laid them back out to dry, the newlyweds passing the next several minutes basking in the cool afternoon as naked as the day they were born, lying beside one another on Kagome's opened sleeping bag, staring peacefully up at the leaves.

"This is weird." Inuyasha said after a moment, breaking the silence.

Kagome turned her head to glance his way, inquiring, "What? Just lying down enjoying the peaceful day?"

"No," he answered, "doing it _naked_."

She giggled.

"Yeah, I guess that _is_ kind of weird." she agreed, propping herself up on her elbows, gazing down first at her own nakedness before shifting her eyes sideways, openly appreciating the view of her equally nude companion lying beside her. "But it's a good weird, no?"

He sat up, and nodded, looking her way with a happy smile that quickly turned more predatory, the look in his eyes becoming hungry.

"Yeah, it's a _good _weird, but I think it's gonna be a long while before seeing you naked doesn't affect me."

What he was referring to was making itself quite known, seeing as he _was _currently naked.

"Well I would certainly hope so." Kagome replied, before getting up and crawling towards him, wrapping her arms around him and pulling him into a kiss.

Several minutes of making out, touching and exploring later found them trying yet another new position for the first time. Kagome was lying flat on her back, flushed and panting, an equally passionate Inuyasha lying above her, when she stopped him with a hand on his chest.

"Wait," she said, "I want to try something different."

The look in his eyes told her he didn't really want to stop, but that so long as whatever she wanted to do still involved sex he was willing to comply...as long as it didn't take too long!

She giggled as she got up, as if reading his thoughts. Perhaps the way he'd whined in disappointment as she'd shoved him away had clued her in.

"Funny you should make that kind of sound now," she said, calling him out on the dog noise, "because I have a feeling your canine half will like what I have in mind."

Before he could question what she meant, or even begin to contemplate the absurd possibility that she was mocking him in some way, which he knew she'd never do, Kagome maneuvered herself onto her hands and knees, facing away from him. Turning to look his way over her shoulder, she wiggled her butt at him and asked with a playful laugh, "Well, what are you waiting for?"

His eyes widened comically once he realized what she was implying. No, not implying. Actually _asking _for. She was asking for it, presenting herself like a good bitch...although he knew better than to tell her that part out loud. He knew damn well what that word meant for human females and he'd be lying through his teeth if he tried to convince her he'd meant it in a canine fashion all the times he'd used to call her that. In fact this was the first time the canine term had ever popped into his head in regard to Kagome, because she wasn't inu-youkai and he knew that, and generally speaking he'd always tried to act out the desires of his human heart around her, hence his stick up his ass about wanting a house for their first time. But she'd gotten him good and over those insecurities. She was more than fine with the fact that her husband was half canine, and she was more than fine with her husband _acting _like it. Approaching her from behind, he stood on his knees and grasped her hips tightly, but not too tight to hurt her with his claws. Staring at her like that for a moment, he openly admired the view.

"Damn, woman," he groaned, "I...yeah, I like this, a lot."

It didn't take much to get himself aligned, and with both hands on her hips again he slowly joined with her, both of them moaning at the sensation.

"You all right?" he asked, worried she was still feeling some pain. This was only their third time, after all.

"More than all right," she answered, "it didn't hurt at all. You can go ahead and start moving."

He sighed in obvious relief.

"Thank kami."

Immediately, he let himself go. Kagome gasped at the sensation, but it was a sound he knew meant she was enjoying it. It didn't take long to feel his end approaching, and Kagome knew it was upon him when stopped moving, a low, fierce, rumbling growl vibrating deep in his throat and chest.

It was nothing like a cat's purr.

Needing to get cleaned back up again, which included another couple of times getting dirty along the way, it was sometime later in the afternoon when they were again lying peacefully beside one another, Inuyasha's temporarily sated state allowing him to remain calm and content in her presence. It was the growling of her stomach that eventually alerted them both to the fact that they'd skipped lunch.

"Damn, I'm going to need to remember to feed you. I get distracted so easily."

Kagome laughed, clearly not bothered by what he believed to be a lack of consideration on his part. He obviously wasn't too bothered, either, if his goofy grin was anything to go by.

"This getaway wasn't really about food, now was it?" she retorted, although another growl from her stomach suggested her body was protesting that notion.

Kagome looked down and playfully swatted at her stomach with her right hand.

"Quiet you, I didn't ask for your opinion." she said to her own belly. They both laughed again.

Remorsefully getting dressed, with the playful promise that he'd get naked again as soon as he got back, Inuyasha took off into the woods in search of something that'd function as both a late lunch and early dinner. Kagome wrapped her kosode around herself but otherwise remained undressed, bow and arrow at the ready although she sensed no threats anywhere nearby. Inuyasha's was the only demonic aura she could sense in the entire area.

When he returned a little while later, kill in hand, he surprised Kagome by actually keeping his word and getting undressed. A promise was a promise, he said with a wink. She was inclined to agree, and divested herself of her kosode. It was the most interesting dinner of her life, roasting skewered meat over their campfire in the buff.

"Never thought we'd become nudists." she laughed as they ate.

"Nudists?" he inquired, ripping off a piece of meat with his teeth from the big chunk he held in his hands.

"Oh, men and women who feel perfectly comfortable naked, who hate wearing clothing, and who go around completely naked whenever they can get away with it."

He snorted.

"Well that can't be too often, can it? I mean, we can only be naked in private, like this."

"I imagine there aren't any nudist colonies in this time period, no." she said with a laugh. "But in the future, there are some special places, like special hot spring baths, and some countries even have marked off pieces of beach at the ocean, that are designated for nudists, where they're allowed to be naked in public. Hundreds of people together sometimes, men and women and even families, all naked. Nothing sexual, just going about their day-to-day lives, cooking food, playing games, talking...naked."

His eyes widened at this bit of information, his nostrils flaring.

"No way. No other man is allowed to see you naked, just me. Don't care if they wouldn't have sex on the mind. Your body is for my eyes only."

She was not the least bit surprised or offended by his reaction.

"I have no intention of ever being naked in front of any other man besides you. Sango and I might still have the occasional girl time in a bath, but that'd probably be more because she needed the getaway than me."

He snorted again.

"Yeah, those brats of theirs, they keep her on her toes, that's for sure. But they're good kids. Sango's a good mother, and surprisingly, Miroku's a good father."

She could tell he'd been teasing about the 'surprisingly' comment. She just smiled, shaking her head some.

"All this talk about being naked is making me aware of how cold it's getting." she said, scooting a little closer to the fire.

"Well then get dressed. I've seen enough to go off memory for a while."

She snorted a laugh at that, and threw a bone at him, which he effortlessly deflected, laughing as well.

That night, they slept cuddled up in each other's arms, Inuyasha slightly on his left side with Kagome at his left, the miko slightly on her right side as she snuggled up against his chest, his arms wrapped around her protectively, his left cheek resting on the top of her head. The next morning, after a peaceful albeit quick breakfast, even though they didn't really want to, they packed up their camp and prepared to head home. There was construction work on their new house Inuyasha knew he'd probably need to help with, and even if they didn't really need him, he wanted to be present for it, anyway. There would be plenty of opportunities over the next few weeks to revisit this hot spring, he promised, and even in the months beyond that, at least until he was able to procure Kagome's bathtub. Maybe even then, if the two of them ever just needed to get away for a day. This hot spring made for a fabulous vacation destination whenever they needed to get away from it all, and it was all theirs. He'd visited the place off and on over the last three years and his nose told him that nobody else had ever made use of it even once in all that time. He wouldn't be opposed to sharing it with Sango and Miroku, but it was a non-issue because without Kirara, who was with Kohaku, the monk and slayer didn't have the means to travel to and from the spring in a reasonable amount of time. It was much too far from the village to travel to on foot; an inn with a good bathhouse for married couples made more sense in their case. Maybe after Ichirou was off Sango's milk he wouldn't mind babysitting for two or three days, now that he'd have Kagome to help him. He was sure she wouldn't mind it; she'd probably like the practice.

That thought brought a goofy grin to his lips, but when Kagome asked him what he was thinking he merely shook his head and told her he'd tell her later. They needed to get back before it got any later. Kagome agreed, and climbing on his back, they were off.


	23. Time flies when you're having fun

Chapter 23 – Time flies when you're having fun

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Hanyou and miko enjoyed the last of their alone time together as they raced back to Kaede's village, Inuyasha soaring high through the treetops. He wasn't traveling at his top speed, not in _that _much of a hurry, although he certainly wasn't dawdling. Besides needing to get back at a decent hour, his gait was also for Kagome's benefit, his wife squealing her delight as he leapt from tree to tree. Despite the shrillness of her pitch, it was music to his ears. Especially when her voice caught on a gasp as his hand 'accidentally' slipped higher up on her inner thigh than was necessary.

_Way _higher up.

"Hentai!" she laughed, reaching up to rub an ear in retaliation.

His hand was immediately back in neutral territory.

"Okay, okay...you win. Keep that up and I'll be running with a boner," he admitted, "which, by the way, I've done plenty of times since meeting you and it's _not _fun."

She merely laughed again, retracting her hand. It was entertaining for her, to learn just how long her Inuyasha had secretly been hot for her. She wasn't appalled by the revelation in the slightest. "Next chance we get for a private talk you're gonna have to fill me in on just when this was."

"I'll fill you in...I'll fill you _up_."

She gasped again and playfully smacked his shoulder.

"You really _are_ an animal..." she murmured, and although she couldn't see the worry flash across his face she could feel his shift in mood. She smirked, leaning towards the same ear to add, "And I wouldn't have you any other way."

She still couldn't see his face, but this time, she knew he was smirking.

Getting serious again once they neared the village, hanyou and miko detoured to the site of their future home, and with the builders already hard at work utilizing the trees he'd downed for them in advance, Inuyasha spoke with the construction workers and quickly agreed to down some more trees since they would be needing them soon. The head woodworker, Arata, had already marked off a few trees in the forest that he liked for the job, but because this forest was sacred, and Inuyasha's domain, the workers said they'd had no intention of cutting them down without his permission. Even if they had run out of wood and work had to stop until they got their next tree, they'd planned on waiting for his return. That meant a lot to Inuyasha. Anybody else, they would've just taken what they needed without thinking about it, but they'd realized that the trees might be especially special to him. He _was _their forest youkai, after all. Couldn't risk angering the forest youkai. Although like Kaede had explained it, they didn't fear his wrath, it was displeasing him in and of itself that they feared.

Despite their concerns, outside of the Goshinboku, of course, and a few other trees that were his favorites for lounging in, most of the trees were just that to him, trees, and he had no problem taking down each of the ones the woodworker had marked off for him. He made quick work of the trees while Kagome continued to chat with the new builders about a few of the designs they'd gone over before with the locals. If any of the itinerant workers from the neighboring villages had a problem with a miko being married to a hanyou they didn't show it, the newcomers '-sama'ing her just as much as the locals, if not more so.

The local villagers still said it every time, of course, but they were getting to know her, feeling more comfortable in her presence. Some even called her 'Kagome-sama' instead of 'Miko-sama', including the two women who were present, wives of a couple of the workers who'd come along to provide tea and food so that the men could have their lunch break on site instead of having to disperse. It was especially convenient for the itinerant workers whose wives lived in other villages; they were sleeping in the headman's guest house while the job was being done.

Kagome was a stranger to these new men, and she could feel it in the way they acted, knowing she was the apprentice village miko and aiming to please. Perhaps they did secretly have a problem with her and Inuyasha's union, but also knew it was not their place to have such thoughts, and fearful that she would see it in their eyes they were subconsciously acting even nicer, almost groveling. Mentally, she shrugged it off, not really caring to psychoanalyze the construction workers. At least not the ones she'd only ever see when major building work needed to be done in the village. In this instance, she was able to act the part of a proper miko rather well, remaining nearly as stoic as Kikyou herself had been, but a tad more polite, with more of a smile on her lips. She was dressed in her miko clothing and such an outfit dictated she act accordingly in mixed company. She was not the same naïve fifteen-year-old she had once been. Chatting pleasantly with the women, she left the men to their work.

After Inuyasha dragged the last downed tree, roots and all, over towards where he'd left the others, the workers all watching him from the corners of their eyes in silent awe even as they pretended not to be distracted by the sight, hanyou and miko then said their professional goodbyes and headed through the trees along the path they knew so well. They had been invited to join in their lunch by the workers' wives but politely declined, saying they needed to get back to Kaede's. Arriving at the elderly miko's home a few short minutes later, they greeted her and Rin with pleasant hellos and Inuyasha opted not to go hunt anything for lunch, accepting a vegetarian meal of vegetables and rice. He would've preferred the meal with meat or fish added to it, but the bottom line was that he was in no mood to part with Kagome, so unless she'd specifically asked him to go hunt or fish, which she hadn't, his plan was to stay right by her side the rest of the day. Even as she participated in a spiritual lesson with Kaede later that evening, testing her control over her reiki, he didn't go anywhere, observing with pride from the back corner of the room.

Kaede was glad to help teach Kagome greater control in areas where the younger miko would benefit from such training, although nobody disputed her natural abilities. When it came to things like reflective barriers, however, Kaede agreed they should seek out Miroku's wisdom in that field. Kaede was a master archer, like her sister before her, but the only type of barrier she herself could produce was a strictly purifying one. It would protect her from tainted energies only, like miasma, and youkai themselves of course, but not solid, tainted objects, like a demonic sword. Even purified, the sword itself would still reach her, under such a scenario, since as a tangible object merely infused with jyaki the sword itself would not disperse upon being purified. With Miroku's guidance, Kaede did believe that Kagome's spiritual powers were strong enough to deflect a demonic weapon, instead. Even though her powers were also based on purification, reflecting an enemy's attack back at them was something Kagome had already done in the past, under duress. With training, she could learn to master the skill, and to specifically avoid purifying the youki out of an object in the process, thus enabling her to maintain a seemingly solid barrier against say, a demonic sword's repeated strikes, the tainted blade unable to pass through and strike _her_. To accidentally purify the sword would mean allowing it entry within her barrier to do her harm, and sharp blades definitely still cut even if there was no youki involved, so sometimes _not _purifying was the way to go in the heat of the moment; it was definitely something she would need to learn to control. Inuyasha agreed they'd talk to Miroku about it the following day. They hadn't seen their friends in five days, anyway. Sure, life got a little busy sometimes, and they _were _newlyweds and naturally wanted a bit of alone time as a result, but even so it was high time they lunched with the monk and slayer again.

That night was just as peaceful as the night before, and Inuyasha no longer felt shy to give Kagome a slightly more passionate kiss goodnight, even in mixed company, so long as the screen blocked them from view, of course.

The next day they headed up the shrine steps after breakfast to talk to Miroku as planned. They were excited to tell him about their thoughts regarding Kagome's spiritual powers. Embarrassment aside, Inuyasha also felt he owed the monk and his wife a thank you for allowing Kaede and Rin to stay the night at their house four nights ago.

Sensing their auras, Miroku emerged from the small temple building as they approached, his eyes sparkling merrily. He greeted them warmly, and then teased lightly that he'd begun to worry that something might have abducted them. Then with his trademark smirk growing more pronounced, he waggled his eyebrows at the couple and added that he supposed it was true, after all; married life had abducted them. It would have been an innocent enough statement had it not been said in his classic Miroku way. Kagome only giggled, unable to deny it, while Inuyasha turned a lovely shade of red. Miroku's smirk widened a bit, but then, much to the houshi's surprise, despite his obvious embarrassment to openly discuss such things, Inuyasha cleared his throat nervously and said, "Uh...yeah...about that. Thanks, Miroku, for...ya know...housing Kaede and Rin like that. You didn't have to do it, so...thanks."

Surprised by his friend's words, but delightfully so, Miroku's smile lost a touch of its perverted edge, becoming much more genuine.

"Ah, you are quite welcome, my friend. What are friends for? After all, you and young Shippou have helped Sango and I out on occasion by watching the children, so it was only right that we return the favor. You are a good man, with a good wife. You deserved nothing less."

Inuyasha fidgeted nervously, the hanyou always having found compassionate praise nearly as embarrassing as anything sexual, so Kagome jumped in in that moment, telling the houshi of the main reason they'd wanted to speak to him that morning, about her spiritual powers, and if he could help her train. The houshi said he'd be more than happy to try and teach Kagome anything and everything he knew about making reflective barriers. Normally one needed a focal point through which to channel their energies when performing such a task, he said, while holding up his shakujo in gesture, but he then immediately said that the bow from Mt. Azusa would be a perfect channeling device for her. Kagome had already instinctively used a bow to create a reflective shield against dark magic during her ordeal with Tsubaki, so they knew that it was indeed something she could do in a pinch, but what came naturally to her when she focused on using her reiki was the power of purification, and flinging out a curse-counterstrike on instinct in a do or die moment of panic was obviously different from creating a reflective barrier by design as a consciously employed technique during battle. It would be beyond foolhardy to just assume that in future emergencies her powers would continue to do what needed to be done on instinct, without any proper training on her part. She needed to learn how to do it on purpose. It required clarity and concentration, no matter how stressful the situation. What she really needed to practice was staying focused. Sure, Kagome could concentrate when all was calm and peaceful; the real trick would be maintaining that concentration when all hell was breaking loose.

Heading with Miroku back to his house after a while, Inuyasha and Kagome had a wonderful lunch with the monk and slayer. When the women broke away to speak in private for a few minutes while Sango tended to Ichirou, Shippou running off to play with the neighbors' children for a little while, Miroku took advantage of the opportunity to quietly ask Inuyasha if any of his 'advice' over the years had 'come in handy', phrasing it that way since his daughters were sitting right next to them. Grateful for the houshi being forced to use code in front of the twins, that still didn't stop his face from flaming since it was beyond obvious what the pervert was talking about, but deciding to try something Kagome had said the other day about just not letting his teasing bother him that much because really, they were all married adults now and such jokes just weren't that big of a deal anymore, Inuyasha swallowed and met Miroku's eyes with the best smirk he could muster and answered just as quietly, "You think Kagome'd be in such a good mood otherwise?"

Miroku laughed openly at that, pleased with the answer, and he quickly dropped the subject. It gave Inuyasha the impression that, pervert or no, he'd actually been genuinely hopeful that his advice _had_ helped. Inuyasha did understand that Miroku was his only real guy friend, after all, knowing that, to a point, it was normal for guy friends to discuss such things. After all, it wasn't like the monk had asked to hear any of the details, not that such a question wouldn't have earned him a bop on the head if he had, though for a different reason than his own embarrassment. Friends or no, Inuyasha would never share such intimate details with Miroku because, by default, that would mean Miroku was thinking about Kagome's body _like that, _and **nobody** was allowed to think about Kagome _like that _but himself. Fortunately, the houshi knew his demonic friend's limits and did not try to push them. By the time the women rejoined them with a freshly changed Ichirou they were already discussing how best to go about starting up Kagome's training schedule. Sango joined in then, saying she was all for it, and the four of them quickly got the details worked out.

For the time being, while their house was still being framed and there was nothing yet that either Miroku or Inuyasha could assist the builders with beyond the hanyou providing their lumber, Miroku, Sango, and even Shippou when he wasn't away for his own training, would meet up with Kagome and Inuyasha at the shrine-temple grounds every early afternoon for some sparing and spiritual training, starting today. First things first, they put her raw purifying abilities to the test. Nobody had really seen her in action with her powers fully unlocked as they were now and so they all wanted to see just how powerful she really was. Kagome might not have known how to make a barrier yet, but she did know how to bring her powers to the surface, just generally speaking, the same energy she would normally channel into a purifying arrow. She let it surround herself in that moment, more like an aura wrapped loosely around her skin than the round dome of a true barrier. It would get the job done.

Provided she had a compliant sparring partner, that was.

It took a good fifteen minutes of glowing a light pinkish purple for her to convince Inuyasha that his Sankon Tessou wouldn't hurt her, and another five to get him to understand how she couldn't wear his suikan for extra protection 'just in case' because her reiki would nullify its demonic properties, rendering the youkai cloth temporarily inert. Eventually it was Miroku's insistence that this whole thing had originally been his idea and was in fact what was best for Kagome, combined with the miko's borderline hurtful inquiry "Don't you trust me?" that had the hanyou caving.

He released his attack at his wife, at the weakest level he could possibly create, fully prepared to commit seppuku right then and there if he harmed her in any way. Kagome had known better all along, of course. She never ever in a million years would have been stupid enough to insist on such a test if she had _actually _considered it a 'test'. She'd known she could do it. She'd known, and so had the others. Ultimately Inuyasha had believed in her too, or else he never _ever _would have given in. She stood, unfazed, smiling, as the angry looking crescent blades of demonic energy fizzled out with loud pops of static electricity upon contact with her glowing aura. Despite himself, Inuyasha visibly exhaled in relief, then grinned in triumph. Kagome's triumph. Nobody was stupid, and they all knew that even she was nowhere near powerful enough to withstand something like the Kaze no Kizu, but it was satisfying for Inuyasha to realize that at least against weaker, naturally occurring youki based attacks – meaning from the body instead of from a weapon – Kagome was perfectly capable of defending herself, even without her bow as a channeling device. It didn't make him feel useless, as if he wasn't needed as her protector anymore. He was _proud _of her, and grateful to know that she _wasn't _a totally weak, defenseless human in constant need of protecting. It wouldn't have been a burden on him if she were, but it was a load off his mind to know that she wasn't so fragile she'd break at the slightest touch.

That was also where Sango came in. After testing her spiritual powers for a while, it was time to change up the lessons, and engage the taijiya in hand-to-hand combat. Shippou shouted out his words of encouragement from the sidelines where he was keeping the twins entertained, Ichirou sleeping in a basket cradle beside them. Kagome was loving every minute of her lesson, especially since it was a rather casual setting, no sense of urgency as would have been the case had they been preparing themselves at the last minute for a fast approaching battle. Hopefully her days of epic battles of good and evil were over and done with, but Kagome knew it would be foolish indeed to not be prepared, just in case. She'd kept her archery skills sharp over the last three years with a modern bow, and she'd also kept up channeling her powers into her arrows, which she'd only ever done in private of course, never when there had been visitors to the shrine watching her practice, but hand-to-hand combat was something she'd never been very good at even from the beginning and was _definitely _out of practice in now. It was something fun to do to make the time go by faster while waiting for their house to get finished, and it could theoretically save her life one day. That sounded like a win/win situation to Kagome.

Once practice was over for the day hanyou and miko were invited back to the monk and slayer's house again for dinner, which was a pleasant affair. Sleeping that night in Kaede's house was identical to the night before, breakfast much of the same as well. Then after their morning patrol Kagome listened to a few lessons on herbs and healing techniques with Kaede while Inuyasha checked on the builders and assisted with any heavy lifting they needed, and then after lunch Kagome spent the afternoon training with Inuyasha, Miroku and Sango, having dinner at their house again afterwards. Everyone fell into a comfortable routine as the days rolled into one another.

A routine that was momentarily broken up once Market Day came back around, of course. Kagome was ecstatic to finally be getting her new quiver and fletching feathers. One of the other things she'd also done over the last few days to pass some of the time was work on preparing some arrows; Inuyasha had always known which bamboo shoots would work best, finding her the strongest, straightest samples. Straightening them the rest of the way and doing all other finishing touches to the shafts was easy since he always made sure she had only the best to begin with. He'd recently started collecting them while out on their morning patrols, just a small detour she'd been happy for since it meant spending more time alone with him. During the late mornings, before it was time to start lunch preparations, she'd worked on preparing the shafts and fastening the arrowheads while listening to Kaede's lessons. She'd quickly fallen back into the routine of how to make arrows, so it was second nature to her, and she was easily able to concentrate on her sensei's words as she worked. She had a large collection of half finished arrows, now; all they needed was their fletching, and a quiver to carry them in.

Arriving in the market village, just the two of them since Miroku had said he didn't need anything this time around, Inuyasha and Kagome went straight for the leatherworker first, who was almost as happy to see the pair as Kagome was to see her beautiful and functional new quiver.

As theoretically risky as it'd been, she had left Kaede's quiver of arrows at home. Well, the quiver at least. It would have ended up looking funny having two of them, after all. She'd carried six arrows carefully in her hand during the walk there. She would have ridden on Inuyasha's back, but he hadn't minded the slow walk; it gave them more time to talk. Their topic of conversation? The sorts of things that neither of them felt comfortable talking about in public, and had caused them to abruptly change the subject whenever they came across another traveler on the road. Kagome now knew more or less precisely how many times she'd inadvertently caused her poor hanyou to turn blue back during their shard hunting days. He'd confessed quite a few things that would have had the old her shouting out the subduing command in her embarrassment, but now she just laughed.

They quickly threw on their professional faces now that they were in the market village, however. Even though the leatherworker knew who they were and felt he owed them a life debt for their roles in the defeat of Naraku and the Shikon no Tama, that didn't mean the guy had actually picked up on the _true _nature of their relationship, and they'd both rather keep it that way.

Putting her borrowed arrows in her new quiver and immediately slinging it onto her back, her gushing words of thanks somehow felt inadequate to her own ears, even as the leatherworker brushed off her gratitude as unnecessary. He had been happy to do it. Finally, she bowed formally, thanking him once more but in a much more dignified manner, like the miko she was supposed to be rather than the giddy schoolgirl she could still become at times. Gingerly taking the small lidded basket that was quite full of delicate feathers, she refrained from gushing that time as she quietly thanked him yet again and headed away from his booth with her husband by her side, Inuyasha having given the leatherworker one sincere nod of thanks as well before they departed.

Having come prepared to buy a few other things for the house while they were there, Kagome's empty yellow backpack on her back beside her quiver, she went over the mental list of things they knew they could get from villagers back home. Any type of basket container wouldn't be a problem in Kaede's village; there was more than one farmer's wife who was quite the talented basket weaver. The same went for standard cloth. Hell, even some nicer cloth was available in their local village, as was evidenced by what had already been gifted to her the night of the feast, but since those women made the cloth to sell on Market Day to support their own families Kagome would put her foot down that they accept payment from her should she decide to procure more of the local nicer fabrics. Moving on, she thought about the things they needed to buy in the market village, like some metal cooking pots. She had her small one, her original one she'd always had, for boiling water. That little pot had still been in her backpack, but she knew they'd need more than just it. She'd need at least a couple larger pots, and at least a couple of pans, too. Their blacksmith was talented, but his specialty was farming tools, arrowheads and fish hooks. Only the things their villagers really needed that were not readily attainable elsewhere; things that might be needed at the drop of a hat. A hook could get lost, and you'd need another one if you wanted to keep trying to catch dinner. Farming tools broke. In fact, Akio had a collection of finished hooks and tools in his storehouse, ready to go. Pots and pans, on the other hand, weren't so easily lost or broken, and were typically the specialty of traveling merchants that went from Market Day to Market Day. They were the sort of thing that everybody needed, regardless of where they lived, and if you needed one, then you knew to go to market to get it. As simple as they were, they did take special skill to make properly, and it was a skill Akio, their local smith, had never bothered to master. The wooden lids, on the other hand, were easy enough to make, and their board maker, Arata, provided those for everybody.

"What do you think?" Kagome asked Inuyasha, as she gestured to a large pot that wasn't so large it wouldn't fit just fine in her backpack. She didn't want to burden them on this trip with stuff that wouldn't fit in her bag.

"Works for me," the hanyou replied with a nod, adding, "and this one, too." He gestured to a somewhat smaller pot that was still larger than her preexisting pot from the future. Including the modern one, they'd have three, ranging from small, medium, to large. That worked for her, too.

"Sounds good."

Inuyasha paid the vendor, and Kagome shrugged off her quiver and backpack, placing the smaller pot inside the larger one before putting them both in her bag, placing the basket holding her fletching inside the smaller pot for safe keeping as well before zipping the bag back up and slinging it back over her shoulder, letting it hang off one shoulder for now for easier access instead of fiddling with her quiver every time. If the vendor thought it odd that the miko was asking her youkai protector what he thought of something as mundane as a cooking pot, he didn't show it. For that particular merchant, all he cared about was the sale. He hadn't even flinched when taking the money from the hanyou's clawed hand, recognizing Inuyasha from his many previous visits even though the hanyou had never before visited his particular booth. He thanked Inuyasha for his business, inviting he and Kagome back again any time.

Unfortunately, that same professionalism didn't greet them everywhere they went that day.

Approaching the cart of a man selling wooden eating bowls among other things, another commonplace item that was harder than it looked to make correctly and definitely took special skills, something their local woodworker also lacked since his specialty was boards and tool handles, the man initially greeted Inuyasha and Kagome with a friendly smile and bow. He too had seen the hanyou before, although he was silently curious where his houshi master was at the moment. No matter, he knew the hanyou would still be on his best behavior with the miko present. The houshi must have sent the miko in his stead.

At first, Kagome got sidetracked away from the eating bowls, gravitating towards a wooden mortar and pestle set, something else she definitely needed. A silent glance in Inuyasha's direction earned her a subtle nod in return, an exchange that went over the vendor's head as he kept his eyes and smile aimed Kagome's way.

"Very good, Miko-sama. Excellent choice." he said with a small bow as she made her selection, setting the mortar and pestle aside. The merchant was delighted at first that she was still shopping, but a small frown of surprised confusion appeared on his face as she started looking over his everyday eating bowls. They were usually the sort of thing he sold to married couples, or husbands who'd been sent with a list by their wives back home.

No matter, the miko probably just needed a bowl or two for herself. Miko had to eat too, after all.

"How many bowls, do you think?" Kagome asked Inuyasha then, deliberately trying to avoid using the word 'we' to Inuyasha in her phrasing. She'd almost asked 'how many bowls do you think we should get' but she'd remembered herself at the last minute.

Not that it did her any good.

Inuyasha shrugged, and also trying to be cautious of what he said, getting a weird vibe from the merchant all of a sudden, he answered, "I don't know about that sort of thing. Just get however many you want."

_How_..._how rude! _the vendor thought, in regard to the hanyou's rather blunt response to the miko's inquiry, showing his mistress no respect, addressing her with no honorific. He held his tongue, however, noting that the miko didn't seem bothered by it. He supposed that when dealing with a youkai body guard one had to accept certain uncouth behaviors as customary.

Not noticing their vendor's troubled expression as she silently nodded her understanding in Inuyasha's direction, Kagome crunched some numbers in her head and decided to go for it and get eight bowls, not that she planned on allowing herself a lazy day of breakfast, lunch and dinner all without needing to wash any dishes. As was standard practice for that time period, she would always wash their bowls as soon as they were done using them and put them back away. She was just thinking about the possibility of having Sango and Miroku and their children and Shippou all over for dinner sometimes, at least on rare occasions. Kagome would like to be able to pay them back for all their hospitality these last couple of weeks.

_Actually, it's only been about a week and a half_... she mentally scolded herself, knowing one of the toughest things to adjust to in Inuyasha's time was going to be following a ten-day calendar system. She'd known since the shard quest days that they followed the old ten-day system, of course, but since she'd been juggling school back then she had kept herself firmly on the western adopted seven-day system, since she'd needed to keep track of what day of the week it was, Sunday through Saturday.

Those western day names could take a hike, now. She had much more important things to think about than worrying about keeping track of what day of the week it was by the modern western calendar. Things like making room in her backpack for her brand new meal bowls, mortar and pestle.

The merchant tried and failed to mask his growing frown as he nevertheless accepted Inuyasha's money, while Kagome carefully packed the bowls away in her backpack one by one, as well as the mortar and pestle, her bag looking more stuffed to capacity than it usually had even when filled with school books. Watching the way he was watching Kagome, Inuyasha suspected the merchant was developing some suspicions of his own, but so long as nothing was actually said on the subject he had hope that he and Kagome could get away from his cart before the scene turned ugly.

Watching as Kagome frowned a little to herself as well, while lifting up and lowering her backpack by its strap a few times, clearly testing its weight, Inuyasha reached for it in that moment, snatching the bag out of his wife's hand and slinging it over his own shoulder before she could protest.

"Keh, I got it. Let's get to our next stop." he said.

Kagome could immediately tell she was being ushered away, but merely nodded, not about to question her husband's instincts on such things. Besides, she was grateful for him taking the heavy bag from her. She'd misjudged just how heavy that thing was getting. Unfortunately, Inuyasha's attempt to expedite their departure only intensified the bowl vendor's displeasure with the situation.

"How dare you speak to Miko-sama so disrespectfully?!" he snapped, simply unable to contain himself. He was appalled by the youkai's crass behavior.

Kagome froze, and slowly turned her gaze back to the vendor. Inuyasha mentally cringed, almost feeling sorry for the guy. He could smell Kagome's anger. But he _really _didn't want to cause a scene, and so as much as a part of him would love to let the guy have it-

"Excuse me?" Kagome stated slowly, evenly, her voice interrupting her husband's thoughts. "How dare _you _speak to _Inuyasha _that way?" Her words were quiet and calm, but her eyes held a subtle fire _not _to be messed with.

Inuyasha blinked, slightly relieved by the turn of events. At least nobody else around them was aware of the confrontation, Kagome outwardly keeping her temper in check. She really wasn't the same hotheaded fifteen-year-old she'd used to be. For a minute there he'd feared having to pull her away from the guy while she screamed her head off at him.

At her obvious ire the vendor looked noticeably taken aback, and unfortunately, instead of trying to backpedal to save face, apologizing for angering her, the guy apparently decided to question why it was that a miko would come to her demonic companion's defense in such a way. Question himself, that is, as Inuyasha saw the wheels slowly turning behind the man's gaze, as his eyes went from startled and confused to suspicious and then finally, downright disgusted. Fortunately, though, Kagome was now on the ball, and had noticed the same thing. As the man opened his mouth to say..._something_...she beat him to it, never letting him say his piece.

"Whatever you're thinking, I don't want to hear it. You're lucky I don't give you your stuff back and demand our money back. I will tell you this, unless you apologize you're never getting even one more mon out of us, not one. And for your information, after everything Inuyasha and I went through to kill Naraku and destroy the Shikon no Tama, he can damn well speak to me however he wants; he's earned it."

The vendor's eyes widened to the size of saucers as she said that last part, the reaction she'd been hoping for. She knew Inuyasha would tease her later, since she'd said over and over how she didn't want to use her status as the Shikon Miko, or even acknowledge it any more than she had to, but this man had deserved to have his faux pas shoved in his face. Inwardly, she had to keep control over her emotions just to keep from smiling in amusement and ruining the moment, maintaining her angry glare as she turned over her shoulder to nod at Inuyasha before walking off in an exaggerated huff, her hanyou husband hot on her heels. Her entire speech had been very calm and quiet, and she had not drawn attention to themselves. The vendor didn't say anything to their retreating forms as they walked away.

Inuyasha waited until he and Kagome were well out of sight and hearing range before barking out a laugh, and she giggled as well. Their spontaneous laughter earned them a few curious looks from passersby, but nobody gave them any disapproving glances. If they'd been alone Inuyasha would have pulled Kagome into a hug and told her how awesome she was with a kiss, but for the time being the silent look in his eyes would have to do. She smiled and nodded, letting him know she understood what he couldn't say, and do, in mixed company.

With her backpack stuffed to capacity they called it a day after that, glad to have gotten at least a few odds and ends besides her new quiver. Small things they could easily store at Kaede's house until their home was finished. Next Market Day they'd bring a wheeled cart, and really start loading up on supplies. As they headed down the road on their way back home Inuyasha apologized for not being a better actor, because if he'd thought to speak more politely, calling her 'Miko-sama', the confrontation with the vendor never would have happened, but Kagome quickly waved off his concern and apology. She reminded him how he'd told her before to not lie about their relationship status. They would try their best to act professional, but she didn't want to deliberately try to deceive anyone. Like he'd said before, people were bound to find out they were buying for a new house once they started getting major 'new house' items, and surely it was only a matter of time before they put two and two together. Fortunately, enough of the vendors knew who they were and felt indebted to them, like the leatherworker who'd gifted her with her quiver and fletching. If a few of the traveling merchants who'd joined the circuit within the last three years had missed the memo that wasn't really her concern, Kagome said, but if the guy apologized to them next Market Day she'd recant her boycott, since he actually did do very nice work. The bowls were lovely. The guy just needed to learn to mind his own business. Just because Inuyasha hadn't been groveling and speaking to her like he was her servant didn't mean he'd actually been being rude.

"I mean, it would've been different if you'd said something like, 'hey bitch, quit wasting my time already' or something." Kagome said with a snicker.

Inuyasha pretended to look shocked and hurt.

"When have I ever spoken to you like that?"

She turned to look him in the eyes, and after a three second staring contest they both broke down into another round of laughter.


	24. Has it really been a month already?

Chapter 24 – Has it really been a month already?

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Time continued to pass by smoothly for our favorite hanyou and miko. After a quick perimeter check Inuyasha would help the builders with their house in any way he could in the late mornings before lunch, Kagome studying with Kaede. He would come back when the construction workers broke for lunch, and then after their own midday meal was complete they would head to the shrine grounds for a few hours, meeting up with Sango and Miroku for some sparing and spiritual training, usually having dinner with their friends afterwards, though not every single night.

When the night of the new moon rolled around they skipped dinner at the monk and slayer's house, for obvious reasons. They spent Inuyasha's human night at Kaede's, as they'd previously agreed to do, deciding not to waste the money on a room at an inn. At first Inuyasha had planned on staying awake all night long, as he'd gotten into the habit of doing so very long ago, long before his nights were safe, as he honestly knew they were those days. With Kagome's persuasion, reminding her temporarily human husband that she could sense a youkai coming from miles away – and hadn't he said his senses were useless at night anyway with him so fully focused on her? – he'd chuckled quietly at her logic and allowed sleep to claim him that night, holding Kagome in his arms same as any other night, although he'd definitely felt his stronger human emotions making themselves known, as he'd tightened his grip on her a bit more than usual. She offered no protest.

One morning, Kaede told Kagome after breakfast that she wanted her to go collect some wild growing herbs on the hillside. It was something she'd eventually need to do all the time, anyway, so it would be good for her to get into the practice of it, and the elderly miko told her to think of it as a test of sorts, relating it to Kagome's school days. Playfully crinkling her nose and saying she'd take Kaede's tests over math homework _any_ day, both miko chuckled slightly as Kagome grabbed a gathering basket and prepared to head out. Instead of going to check on the builders right away, Inuyasha accompanied her up the hill. He didn't specifically tell her he didn't want her out in the herb fields by herself, he simply went with her, but Kagome didn't have a problem with it, appreciating the company. She knew it was the canine in him, his natural instinct telling him to follow her around, literally like a puppy dog. He just wanted to be near her, especially if she would otherwise be by herself. Leaving her at Kaede's, then at least he knew where she was, and that she was protected. Not that she needed the babaa to protect her, of course, but that was beside the point.

Kagome gathered a few different herbs for a while and then they headed back, and after seeing her safely to Kaede's Inuyasha then headed into the forest to check on the progress of their home. This process was repeated again the next day, except that pleasant morning was broken up for a moment when, as she reached to put a few herbs into her basket, Kagome dropped them and reached for her heart, instead, a small gasp escaping her lips.

Inuyasha was instantly on high alert.

"What?! What is it?!" he asked frantically, hand on Tessaiga's hilt.

Kagome shook her head, closing her eyes and concentrating a moment.

"I...I sense a very powerful demonic aura, approaching fast, but now that I think about it, I recognize it."

Inuyasha, at first, had tensed even more at her words, but upon hearing her say she thought she recognized the youki he relaxed and released his sword.

"Keh, probably Sesshoumaru, then. It's been a while since he's last seen Rin so his next visit's been due."

Turning his nose to the sky, he took a deep breath, and then nodded in confirmation, detecting his brother's scent on the wind.

"Yup, it's Sesshoumaru. He's not masking his presence. That means he wants us to know he's coming."

"I'm glad he comes to visit Rin-chan like this." Kagome said. "I imagine she'd be heartbroken if he didn't."

"Yeah, probably." Inuyasha agreed.

"I'm surprised she's even here, to be honest. I thought she'd go with Sesshoumaru."

Inuyasha shook his head.

"Kaede-babaa said it." he explained. "It seems like practice for returning her to a human village. For whatever she chooses."

"So when she's older she'll make the decision to either stay or go back to traveling with your brother again?"

"Yeah, and I bet she'll pick him. She's fond of him, for whatever stupid reason."

Kagome giggled at that.

_Maybe that 'dog and his wife' story isn't about me and Inuyasha, after all_... she thought, smiling fondly at the notion.

Rin was young, but she wasn't _that _young, especially by that time period's standards, and she'd heard the way the girl talked about Sesshoumaru. Kagome knew a crush when she saw one. The only real question was how Sesshoumaru felt about Rin in return.

She knew better than to say anything out loud along those lines right in that moment, however, as the feel of his youki quickly got stronger and stronger. She didn't know exactly what Sesshoumaru's hearing range was, but she was pretty sure they were already within it. When his shadow fell over them only a few seconds later she and Inuyasha both glanced up to see his humanoid form flying overhead, Jaken holding onto his mokomoko-sama for dear life. It was an amusing sight.

"Ah! Sesshoumaru-sama, it's Kagome...!" the imp cried out loud enough for the miko to hear, and she mentally rolled her eyes.

As if Sesshoumaru hadn't sensed her reiki from as far back as she'd sensed his youki.

Still, it would be rude not to acknowledge him, especially since he hadn't gone out of his way to avoid flying directly over them in his approach.

"Onii-saan!" she cried out happily, only to pause at the nasty glare the daiyoukai gave her at the familiar greeting.

"Aw, he made a really mean face at me..." she muttered to herself, turning to look back at her husband, and the equally nasty glare he was giving her as well. "And, Inuyasha, so are you."

"That had a really nasty ring to it." he answered, scowl firmly in place.

"Why? He's your brother, so he's my brother-in-law." She blinked, truly confused.

Inuyasha rolled his eyes and sighed overdramatically.

"He barely tolerates the fact that he's related to a half-human, and now you went and threw his full-human relative in his face. I'm sure he smelled us a mile away; he knew damn well who you are to me, but you took away his ability to pretend to ignore it. If we weren't on as good of terms as we are now, he probably would've attacked us."

Kagome waved off his concern with an eye roll of her own.

"_That _Sesshoumaru disappeared a long time ago. Long before we defeated Naraku even."

"Maybe...but you still shouldn't press your luck."

Kagome rolled her eyes again and muttered a quiet "Feh" just for the hell of it, which had the desired effect as her husband laughed quietly. She silently got back to her herb basket, then, and after a couple of minutes Inuyasha let it go, realizing Kagome was probably right. After all, Sesshoumaru hadn't stopped to say anything threatening to her because of her poor choice in nicknames, and as pissed off as his look had been, it hadn't been his 'displease me again and I shall end you' look. He knew that look well, but it'd honestly been a long time since he'd seen it. As much as he was loath to admit it, his bastard of a brother really _had_ mellowed out over the years.

They lingered on the hillside longer than they probably would have, but Inuyasha and Kagome both agreed to give Sesshoumaru and Rin some alone time together, knowing Rin was alone in Kaede's house while the elderly miko did her daily rounds in the village. They didn't return to Kaede's house with Kagome's basket of herbs until after Sesshoumaru's departure. Kaede was also back by the time they arrived, so Kagome immediately went over her herbs with the elderly miko while Rin happily showed Inuyasha the new kimono his brother had given her.

Once they were finished there, Inuyasha went back to the site of their future home to check on the progress again, and this time, Kagome went with him. Now that the framework was all up, the side and floor panels being put into place, the job required less specific expertise, allowing Inuyasha to assist more with the construction itself instead of just hauling the heavy stuff for the other men. Kagome went because she was itching to see the progress, and she would've offered to help with the construction, too, if such a thing wouldn't have been _sooooo _out of place in that time period, for their precious Shikon Miko to swing a hammer. Heaven forbid. She chuckled quietly to herself at the absurd notion. But just because she wouldn't participate in the actual construction didn't mean she couldn't _help_. She could fetch things, and what if somebody got injured and needed a wound tended to? She didn't need to explain herself to her husband, of course. Kagome's desire to hang out at the construction site made as much sense to Inuyasha as his desire to be with her while she gathered herbs did. She wanted to be with him. None of the workers had a problem with her presence.

After lunch they were joined by Miroku and Sango, the monk and slayer deciding sparring lessons could wait for now as they too joined in helping the building party, Shippou watching their children with Kaede and Rin's help. Slowly but surely, Inuyasha and Kagome's future home was actually starting to look like a house, and it was an exciting sight to see. Every day, there was a little more progress made, and every day, Inuyasha and Kagome got more and more excited to see the finished product.

Hanyou and miko were so busy lately that outside of their morning border patrols, which _stayed _just border patrols, they hardly had any moments of alone time whatsoever, always either at Kaede's, Sango and Miroku's, or at the construction site. Only once during that whole ten-day did they allow themselves to take a day off, and that was for a day trip back to the hot spring, only staying at the spring for a few hours before turning around and heading back home again. They'd made the most of those few hours, of course; it'd been just enough of a teaser to remind them both how they _didn't _have the sort of everyday privacy one needed to _truly _enjoy being a newly married couple. But they were working on it. That was why they were helping the construction workers; anything to help get their house built that much faster.

When the next Market Day rolled around Miroku agreed to go with them, hoping his presence would help smooth things over between the couple and the vendors, plus by now there were a few things he honestly needed to get, anyway. Borrowing one of Haruto's smaller wheel carts, Miroku told his friends that he and Sango would happily store a few pieces of furniture at their place until their house was finished, assuring hanyou and miko that they need not worry about being unable to buy certain items yet simply for a lack of where to put them in the meantime. With that thought in mind, their goal was a futon and bedroom chest of drawers. Inuyasha didn't mind it if their living space was a bit sparse at first, if it took them until the Market Day after their house was completed to finish the kitchen, but he wanted that bedroom move-in ready the day the last roof shingle went on, and he didn't even blush as he said so in Miroku's presence, thanking the houshi for agreeing to hold the items at his place despite how cluttered it would temporarily make things. Miroku's reply was a wave of his hand and, "What were friends for?"

That trip to market went noticeably smoother than last time, and when they passed by the bowl maker's cart he even scrambled to apologize for his previous behavior, as Kagome had hoped he would. She smiled and bowed and forgave him, but they didn't buy anything more from him that trip.

After Miroku got his few cooking spices Sango had requested it was time to shop for a futon, and with Miroku doing the talking the vendor didn't think anything of it. This merchant was also one who only cared about making the sale, so the houshi and hanyou could have been sharing the miko for all he cared, although of course such a thought had _not _occurred to the man. He simply had no thoughts on the matter whatsoever, eager to sell his best, most comfortable futon, when Miroku told him he required the best and money was no object. Those instructions had come directly from the inu-hanyou trying to remain inconspicuous in the background while the houshi and merchant haggled. Miroku was one of a kind. Even after telling the merchant to his face that he wanted the best, not caring what it cost, he _still _managed to grind the man down to a very reasonable price, all the while making the merchant act as if Miroku were doing him an immeasurable favor by buying from him in the first place.

Inuyasha wasn't the only one who'd noticed.

"Your tongue is smoother than silk, Miroku-sama, but I must say I'm glad for it in this case." Kagome said once they were away from the vendor, and the monk only chuckled softly in reply.

He repeated the procedure, to a lesser extent, to win his friends a fabulous discount on a sturdy and functional chest of drawers, as well as a large storage chest with a hinged lid that could double as a bench seat, and while they were in the market village they also began inquiring about where, and from whom, they could procure a luxurious self-heating bathtub. Such an expensive item was well beyond what one could buy at this humble peasant market village, but most of the vendors knew vendors who knew vendors, and before the day was out Inuyasha had more than one recommendation for a metal worker who lived in Edo. That was a worry for another day, since it would take him a while to save up the money, but it was good to already have a lead.

Thinking about the cost, Inuyasha also took a little time to chat with some of the merchants who'd always been more friendly towards him and Miroku over the last three years. The ones, like the leatherworker, who knew precisely who they were, who also knew who Kagome was, and couldn't care less about the hanyou and miko's relationship as they were too busy bowing their gratitude to Kagome and praising the kami for her safe return to them. Those men Inuyasha spoke with about the possibility of putting together some temporary trade deals. Lots of the traveling vendors didn't actually make their own wares, or at least not all of them. Plenty of the merchants bought in bulk from suppliers that lived in the villages they passed through or near, buying those villagers' goods to resell on the road for a profit. Such was the case with many of the locals from Kaede's village who sold cloth and baskets at the market to help support their families. Those villagers didn't stay all day long at the market, hoping to sell their wares to shoppers themselves. They simply sold the whole lot to a vendor, as a supplier, taking their payment and heading back home.

Inuyasha could do that too. He didn't have very many skills, but he could do a few select things that nobody else in their region could do, simply because of his demonic strength and speed. With Riku's help he could bring large hides and furs to the leatherworkers. He could travel great distances to bring large chunks of wood from trees that were native in different regions to the woodworkers. Identifying the plants by scent, he could hunt down rare, hard to find herbs and spices. It wasn't something he wanted to make a habit of long-term, especially since most of it would also mean extended periods of time away from Kagome, but the tub he wanted to get for her would _not _be cheap, and so he needed to do whatever he could to earn as much money as possible, as quickly as possible, and then after he got the tub and got their bathing room complete he could stop worrying so much about money and enjoy his days with Kagome, instead.

Kagome would have told Inuyasha that a bathtub wasn't really _that _important, especially with the hot spring within traveling distance, but she recognized him as a man on a mission and honestly, the thought was so sweet, that he wanted so badly to do this for her, that she absolutely was not going to try and talk him out of it. She even offered to help him, though he politely told her not to worry about it, that it was his job to provide the tub for her and she shouldn't have to help him pay for it. Besides, with her needing to learn all her miko training, she wasn't like a normal housewife who had the time to learn a wifely skill like cloth weaving or dyeing. Kagome, like Kaede, would never spin her own thread or weave her own cloth, although she would at least sew her own clothing once she learned how, Kagome swore, and Inuyasha didn't argue with her on that point.

With nobody at the market village having heard of anybody suffering from any youkai troubles at the moment, something Miroku and Inuyasha always checked on while they were there, just in case, the trio headed back home by early afternoon, making it home in time for dinner, having had a light lunch of traveling food courtesy of the market town.

Getting back into a routine in Kaede's village, it was more of the same over the next few days, with noticeable progress being made on their house on a daily basis. Plus when Kagome, Inuyasha, Miroku and Sango took a day off from helping with the construction to get back to her spiritual training again, Inuyasha could also see that Kagome was making noticeable improvements in her control. She still couldn't make a deflective barrier, yet, but she was now able to extend a round purifying barrier out away from herself, the same as Kaede could create. Feeling braver now that the barrier wasn't wrapped around Kagome like a second skin, Inuyasha eagerly helped her train and practice with the Tessaiga. He'd apologized to the blade beforehand, but the sword had hummed compliantly, as if understanding why it was necessary and also wanting to do whatever it could to help Kagome get stronger.

Not using much force, and standing far enough away so that only the tip would touch her barrier, and would never reach her body now that the barrier's circumference was large enough, Inuyasha swung the transformed Tessaiga at his wife, releasing no demonic attacks. The blade crackled as it came into contact with her barrier and then almost immediately reverted back into its dormant state, allowing his momentum to complete the swing, the purified blade now passing right through her barrier. Just like Kaede had said it would.

Hand getting a little too close to the barrier for comfort, Inuyasha retracted his arm and sheathed Tessaiga, letting the sword take a break before trying it again, with Miroku this time. The monk had the great idea of Kagome extending her aura out to sense the feel of his own reiki as he created a deflective barrier, in the hope that maybe she could sense how he did it.

Once Inuyasha could sense that Tessaiga was ready for round two, he waited until Kagome and Miroku were close together, his wife within the monk's barrier. He gave Miroku a critical eye, letting the pervert know he better not _try _anything, because Red Tessaiga was strong enough to break through his deflective barrier, if it came to it. Miroku merely rolled his eyes, and glanced Sango's way, his wife giving him an encouraging nod from the sidelines.

"Feel the difference in my energy." Miroku instructed, and nodding, Kagome closed her eyes and held her hands up palms out, sensing the vibrations of Miroku's barrier.

Inuyasha held Tessaiga at the ready, and with the demonic blade once again transformed, he gave a brief grunt of warning and then swung, the blade bouncing harmlessly off the houshi's barrier without reverting back into its dormant state. It felt almost the same as when he'd previously tried to break Naraku's barriers, before gaining Red Tessaiga, except of course he could sense no darkness from the bouzu's barrier, knowing it was made with reiki instead of jyaki. Even so, it did not purify the youki out of his blade, and swinging again, Inuyasha gritted his teeth and managed to maintain contact that time, holding Tessaiga's blade against the barrier. It wasn't being purified, but neither was it penetrating the barrier, as the energy flashed and crackled where the two forces met. Miroku's eyes were open, but he had almost no expression on his face, clearly concentrating on what he was doing, his grip tight around his staff. He was using the demonic aura of Inuyasha's blade to repel it. It was a very, _very _weak version of the Bakuryuuha, in principle, at least, throwing his enemy's energy back at him instead of dispersing the energy. Kagome understood that; she could feel the difference.

When she and Inuyasha tried again, she still purified Tessaiga almost immediately. She slumped her shoulders in defeat after dropping her barrier, but he gave her an encouraging hug, not caring about their friends bearing witness.

"You remember how long it took me to figure out the Kaze no Kizu? And that was just the beginning. I sure as shit didn't learn all my new tricks in one day. You'll get it."

"Thanks...I needed that."

"Hiraikotsu!"

Hanyou and miko both gasped in surprised horror as a giant, demonic bone boomerang came barreling straight for them, and before Inuyasha could even think about grabbing Kagome and launching them both out of the way he suddenly found himself enveloped in a purple light, Kagome's bow held out in front of them like a shield as she shouted "Back!"

The giant boomerang was knocked back, rather than crackling from being purified before still striking them as the giant sharp object it was.

"What the fuck, Sango?!" Inuyasha bellowed, glaring at the taijiya who was trying hard not to laugh.

"What?" she asked. "Don't you remember where I keep Hiraikotsu, hanging on the wall back at the house? Did you _see _me bring it with us today?"

Inuyasha blinked, confused, as he looked off to the other side to see...another Sango...who jumped up and caught the returning bone boomerang, before that Sango and Hiraikotsu both disappeared in a puff of smoke to be replaced by a young kitsune boy holding a harmless stick.

"It wouldn't have hurt you, honest!" he said, waving the stick in show. Had Kagome purified Shippou's illusion, it would've merely been a small stick that hit them.

Inuyasha narrowed his eyes, growling lowly. He did _not _like being scared like that! But before he could take too steps towards the now terrified kitsune, it was Kagome's laughter that time that caused him to glance back her way.

"That was such a good idea, Shippou-chan!" Kagome praised, and the fight went right out of Inuyasha at those words.

It _had _worked, after all.

Damn brat.

"Feh, whatever."

Kagome giggled, scooping Shippou up into her arms, and Inuyasha grinned at the sight.

Everyone knew Kagome still had a long way to go before it would become second nature to her, but at least she had rejuvenated faith in herself and her abilities. She knew she _could _do it. If she could do it once, then she could do it again.

oooooooooo

_Hard to believe so much time has passed already_... Miroku thought, as he nailed the next shingle into place.

He was among a few other villagers presently up on Inuyasha's roof, putting the last of the shingles in place. When he had first joined the construction crew a couple of the builders had politely tried to tell him his added assistance wasn't necessary, but he'd replied simply that Inuyasha was his friend, and that since Inuyasha had helped him with_ his _house, he felt it only right to return the favor. He was a monk, yes, but he was a husband first, and would be doing any and every bit of repair work that would ever need to be tended to on his own home. Unless anything major ever needed to be repaired, he would be the one fixing little problems with the temple, too; he was no stranger to manual labor.

"Hey." Inuyasha said, landing next to Miroku with a bucketful of shingles and nails.

"Hey." Miroku greeted back, as he reached for the next shingle courtesy of his hanyou friend.

It was faster for Inuyasha to just jump down and grab some more and jump back up rather than using the ladder. The other workers had only been startled momentarily the first time, but they were used to it now, as well as accepting he and the monk as part of the construction crew. Kagome and Sango were also present, though the miko had known better than to try and ask if she could also help with the roof. They probably wouldn't have refused her, but it would've been...weird...for a woman, and especially a miko, to do something like nailing roof shingles in place. So instead, Kagome, dressed in her miko robes of course, along with Sango, who'd left the twins with Kaede, Rin and Shippou but had little Ichirou on her back, contented themselves with assisting the couple of other women who were also present. When it was time to break for lunch, as our favorite four were now eating lunch on site with the other workers, miko and slayer assisted the other women in serving the men their tea and meals. They especially made sure they were the ones who served their own husbands.

Kagome had also brought a basket of some time period medical supplies with her, and on the rare occasion when somebody had indeed gotten hurt, although thankfully nobody had had anything more serious than a large splinter or lightly bashed thumb, Kagome was instantly in village-healer-mode. Nobody could dare think that a mild injury while building their youkai protector's home was bad luck, not with their precious Miko-sama present to immediately treat their injury and offer a short blessing.

"Oi, Kagome!" Inuyasha called from his place on the roof, and looking up, Kagome was prepared to catch the empty bucket he tossed down to her.

"Right." Nodding, she quickly went over to the stack of waiting shingles and grabbed another bucketful, grabbing the required amount of nails from that pile as well so that by the time Inuyasha leapt down all she had to do was hand him the ready bucket.

"Thanks," he said, "won't be long now."

With that he was back up on the roof again, and Kagome walked over to where her taijiya best friend was standing out of the way, breastfeeding her son.

Even after being back in the past for over a month, it was still odd, at times, watching Sango be a mother. After all, she had quickly been reminded of Sango's warrior status during their sparring lessons. It was easy at those times, seeing the woman dressed in her black leathers, to forget that she was a wife and mother now. A wife and mother, but still a taijiya. It was a man's profession, really. Women weren't usually warriors, but Sango was. A female warrior. They were few and far between, but they existed. Kagome liked to think that, in her own way, she was a warrior too, but she wasn't stupid. Her weapon was her reiki, and by extent, her arrows. She would never be as good at physical combat as Sango was; she wanted only to be able to defend herself in a pinch. Just because she was a wife now, and would hopefully one day become a mother as well, didn't mean she was suddenly no longer the Shikon Miko, and the Shikon Miko needed to keep up on her battle skills. She had not stopped being the Shikon Miko just because the Shikon no Tama itself was finally gone from their world, any more than Sango had stopped being a taijiya to become a wife and mother or Miroku had stopped being a monk to become a husband and father.

Theirs was quite the unconventional little village, Kagome mused, with a Buddhist monk married to a warrior woman and a half human forest youkai married to a reincarnated miko from the future. She snickered.

Sango gave her an inquisitive look, but Kagome waved it off. Thinking again about her sparring lessons with her friend, she smiled. She had quite a few healing bruises thanks to her training with Sango. Fortunately, she healed rather fast, and Sango was always careful to not seriously hurt her in the first place, but still.

The first few nights, Kagome had had some aches in places she didn't even know she had places. Thankfully behind the cover of Kaede's changing screen Inuyasha had been more than happy to massage her aching muscles. They'd kept it innocent in mixed company, of course, but even so he'd had to go 'fishing' a couple of times after a few of her massages. She would've offered to go with him, but frankly, she'd been too tired those nights. He certainly hadn't been disappointed in her lack of asking to accompany him. The thought of being disappointed probably hadn't even occurred to him. She was sore and tired. How selfish would it have been to want to drag her out of bed for something like _that _when all she wanted to do was sleep? If they could have taken care of it right there in bed that would've been a different story, but not while Kaede and Rin were under the same roof.

Truthfully, Inuyasha had just been relieved she hadn't been upset with him for going in the first place. He'd even admitted as much, since he'd looked nervous at first, and after she'd asked him what was wrong he'd surprisingly decided to be up front and honest about it. She'd actually been perplexed by his worries at first. Why the hell should it bother her if he was horny and needed to go masturbate? He couldn't have worried that she found the act itself disgusting; not after she'd boldly asked to watch him do it their last trip to the hot spring. Maybe some women felt insecure, that if their guys were 'taking care of it' themselves it meant they either didn't want or need _them_, but when it came to Inuyasha Kagome knew that was the _farthest _thing from the truth. He both wanted and needed her, and he reminded her on a daily basis just how little sleep she would be getting their first night in their new house.

Which would hopefully be _that _night, by the looks of things, Kagome thought in that moment.

As Sango put the freshly burped Ichirou back into his sling and strapped him back across her back, Kagome adopted a whimsical smile, her thoughts wandering once again to her nervous, horny husband. At the time, she'd told Inuyasha only that she understood. Their options were somewhat limited at the moment. The last thing she'd wanted was for him to suffer, so if he needed to go 'fishing' he had her blessing. But she'd also told him that after they were alone in their new house, just the two of them, that he should never fear needing to go 'fishing' by himself ever again. If he _wanted _to, for something different, of _course _she wouldn't be angry, but if he needed to go 'fishing' in the middle of the night but didn't really want to do it alone, he was allowed...no, encouraged...to wake her up so that she could go 'fishing' with him, from the warmth of their bed.

He'd blushed twenty shades since she'd whispered all this too him quietly in Kaede's hut while the elderly miko and young Rin slept soundly just on the other side of the privacy screen, but he'd still nodded his understanding, before immediately rushing out of the hut. She'd figured that after _that _kind of a conversation he'd _really _needed to go 'fishing'.

She chuckled at the memory.

"What's so funny?" Sango asked, giving her friend an amused, inquisitive look.

Kagome merely shook her head.

"I'll tell you later, when we aren't within someone's hearing range."

"Oi, you talkin' 'bout me, woman?" Inuyasha asked with an amused smirk of his own, suddenly standing right behind her.

_Case in point_... Kagome thought, shaking her head again.

"I'll tell you later, too. Right now, I just wish that roof would get done as fast as possible."

"Keh, no argument here."

With that, Inuyasha grabbed another bunch of shingles and hopped back up onto the roof again. Done...their house would be done after this. The roof was the last thing...and then it was just a matter of bringing in the few pieces of furniture they'd already bought. Their house was finished.

He and Kagome had put less and less time aside for other things, anything, other than working on their house these last few days. Her spiritual training had been put on hold as Miroku assisted him alongside the other workers, and while her herbal lessons with Kaede could have continued they were suspended for the time being because she'd insisted on being there as well to witness the progress. She hadn't even gone with him on his morning patrols all week for the logical reason that he could actually run quite a bit faster without her on his back, not because she actually weighed anything to him, but he _did _have to be careful of how he jumped around to make sure she wouldn't fall or get hurt in any way. Alone, he could actually crash through the forest growth much more recklessly and not worry about the branches whipping around him because he was protected by his fire-rat robes and thick youkai skin. Kagome would get all bashed and cut up if he pulled the kind of stuff he did alone with her on his back. She understood that. He'd been getting up early, spending the maybe only twenty minutes on his expedited patrol while Kaede was still fixing breakfast, so that the only thing Kagome really missed out on was their lazy mornings of waking up in each other's arms. Totally worth it to get the patrol itself over and done with sooner. By the time breakfast was ready at its usual hour he was already back, the perimeter check completed, and then as soon as breakfast was over they were at their new house, Inuyasha helping the construction workers in any and every way possible.

Hammering his last shingle into place, Inuyasha at first moved to jump off the roof and grab another armload again, but then something struck him. There were no more shingles to grab. The other men were exiting the roof. Looking around where he and Miroku stood, there weren't any bare spots of the boards underneath still in need of a shingle. The roof was finished.

The roof was finished! And it was only late afternoon! There was plenty of daylight left to start dragging in their belongings. Quickly launching himself in Kagome and Sango's direction, he was joined a minute or two later by the monk who'd had to take the ladder. As the rest of the workers packed up their belongings and bowed their departure, wishing Inuyasha and Kagome good blessings for their new home, all the hanyou could think about was wanting to get their stuff that was stored at both Sango and Miroku's house as well as Kaede's house. They didn't have _everything_; as he'd originally figured much of the main room and kitchen furnishings would have to wait until this next upcoming Market Day, but all he cared about in that moment was getting their _sleeping _room set up.

It took excruciatingly longer than he deemed necessary, but finally, about an hour later, their few pieces of furniture were all in place, their dishes and other smaller accessories stacked neatly in the left front corner of the main room that would become their kitchen, opposite the sliding door to the right that led into the empty side room that would one day contain a bathtub. Kagome's things, her original things left there from the future, were all packed back up in her yellow backpack, which was sitting next to her quiver of finished arrows and the bow from Mt. Azusa in the back corner of the sleeping room, opposite the chest of drawers. The clothing chest contained her pajamas and yukata, as well as her changes of underclothes. The empty bench-like storage chest beside it was where they would normally store their futon and other bedding, which was currently rolled out, blankets in place, the bed ready to be occupied for the first of _many _nights.

By some stroke of luck, or perhaps good ol' Miroku had wisely spread the word not to bother them this evening, nobody had shown up so far to deliver them any housewarming gifts. There were a ton of things they needed, a ton of things they planned on hitting up some of the villagers for – even though if Kagome had her way they'd be paying for the items in firewood and/or meat – but that could wait until tomorrow. Right now, in that moment, with the evening sun dipping behind the trees, most of the village preparing dinner, Kagome and Inuyasha had opted _not _to dine with Sango and Miroku or Kaede, and who could blame them? Standing outside their front door, under the cover of the verandah's overhang, Kagome kicked an imaginary pebble in the hard beaten earth, staring at the hanging door mat before her with unexpected butterflies in her stomach. This was it. She was home.

From his place behind her Inuyasha growled low in his throat, and Kagome could feel her husband's demonic aura flare in strength as he watched her slowly enter their house, his eyes burning into her from behind truly like a demon stalking its prey.

They didn't make it to the bedroom.


	25. Home Coming

Chapter 25 – Home Coming

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Entering the house..._their _house...Kagome looked around, at least as best she could with the low light coming in from the window. In their hurry to move all of their possessions in she hadn't yet taken the time to start a fire in the firepit.

That was the least of her concerns in that moment, though, as she felt Inuyasha close the distance between them before suddenly, his hand was on her shoulder, spinning her around. Still in the beaten earth domo, she hadn't even slipped off her sandals yet to step up onto the raised wooden floor of the back half of the house, and suddenly his lips found hers as he crushed her to him almost desperately. It was as if he was pouring everything that'd been building up within him over their weeks of near celibacy into this one kiss. A few stolen moments and touches here and there over the last month had done nothing to even partly sate his newfound desires. Before, he wouldn't have known what he was missing. Before, he could have continued to pleasure himself alone in the forest and dream of what would one day come to pass, and it would've been enough.

This last month had been _torture_, and like a caged beast finally released back into the wild Inuyasha growled in victory as he claimed his wife's mouth, chin, neck, collarbone... That last one took some yanking of fabric to get it out of the way, but the miko offered no hint of protest, and her hands did not stay idle either. Inuyasha's growling only intensified as he felt her delicate hands yank and tug on his suikan just as desperately, getting it undone almost faster than he himself would do when throwing it over her head for protection. The opened robe hung loosely at his sides as her hands next went to work on tugging his longer kosode out of his hakama before untying that robe as well. Mirroring her work, Inuyasha's hands had already opened her chihaya. It was like they were in a race to see whose kosode would be opened first, all the while with their mouths never breaking contact, except of course for when Inuyasha's traveled along her throat, leaving her mouth free to gasp and moan. But quickly enough his mouth was over hers again, claiming every inch of her. It was a miracle they were both staying aware enough of their actions to avoid cutting her lip on a fang. If such an accident had happened in that moment, neither of them would've cared. Kagome probably wouldn't even have noticed.

Just like Inuyasha didn't notice the sound of his leather pouch dropping to the floor as his kosode came undone. His first clue that Kagome had won their little race was the feel of her warm hands on his bare stomach. Feeling her rub him all over, on his stomach and up to his chest, Inuyasha paused in what his own hands were doing to moan into the kiss as she smoothed her palms along his heated flesh. As her hands came up to his shoulders, pushing at his robes, the hanyou immediately took the hint and hastily shrugged out of his opened robes while she gripped his bare shoulders, letting the garments drop carelessly to the dirt floor behind him. His hands were back on her, then, and getting her kosode open immediately afterwards, revealing her bare stomach, her breasts teasingly hidden from view by the modern-day bra she still wore, his left hand then lifted and grabbed a fistful of hair at the back of her head, pulling her head back to better attack her throat while his right hand began plucking relentlessly at the ties to her hakama.

Feeling her hakama drop around her feet, Kagome removed her hands from his shoulders and shrugged out of her own robes. She managed to pull herself away from her husband's embrace, then, but only so that she could step out of her sandals and fallen hakama, standing before him in the beaten earth domo of their brand new house in her white cotton bra and panties, tabi still on her feet.

He growled again, and she swore she thought she saw him drooling a little, although it was hard to tell in the low light of the dark house. She could have lit the lantern. Miroku and Sango had given them one as their own housewarming present, and with a few leftover matches she could've had the lamp fire going in no time at all, but that would've required putting a stop to the passion between them, for even a moment, and in that moment, the look in her eyes told Inuyasha – who could see just fine – that she had _no _intention of stopping, even momentarily.

"Naked. Now." he said, his voice barely legible, hardly human, as he crouched down and practically tore off the bindings around his ankles.

Standing back up he worked faster on untying his hakama than he'd ever untied them before in his entire life, and when they dropped he didn't even bother unwrapping his fundoshi, pushing it down his legs much the same way Kagome had just removed her own panties, having already unfastened her tabi and bra.

They were both naked.

They were both naked, alone, in their house. Together. Alone.

Naked.

Why was he still just standing there?

Kagome squeaked in surprise as he suddenly stalked forward and walked her backwards against the nearest wall, pinning her hands above her head with his left hand as he kissed her relentlessly. He ravished her mouth, face, neck, shoulders... Whatever he could reach, all the while holding her in place, just for the fun of it. Kagome knew it was a game. It was the predator in him, holding his prey hostage. If she wanted him to release her she had ample opportunity to say so as he trailed his mouth lower. She offered no sound of protest. Had her hands been free, she would've only been using them to fist in his hair, or perhaps rub an ear. This was a side of her husband Kagome had never seen before, at least to this extreme. The shy virgin was definitely gone, but she had no complaints, as he shoved his left leg in between her own, letting her straddle his thigh.

She gasped, not in surprise, really. Just because. Because gasps and moans were all she could produce at the moment. He pulled back briefly to glance up at her face, but noting her seductive smirk when their eyes locked, he merely chuckled. She started rocking against his leg.

If there had been a flash of hesitation or uncertainty in her gaze at his rough treatment of her he would've stopped in a heartbeat, but instead her look had only fueled his fire, and he let her know it too. Kagome shuddered at the look in his eyes, her shivers in no way related to the cool temperature in the room that she honestly didn't notice. The intensity of his rutilant gaze more than made up for the lack of a fire in the firepit. The flame of their passion was more than enough to keep her warm. The heat of his stare was almost _too _hot.

Without warning he grabbed her by the waist and hoisted her up, pressing her back against the wall for added support so he wasn't hurting her. Kagome squeaked in surprise but didn't protest, wrapping her legs around his waist, her hands back on his shoulders for added supports. Their eyes met. He inhaled through his nose, then growled low with hooded eyelids. She nodded. He brought her down.

They both cried out at the sensation of suddenly being joined as they should be, as they were meant to be. Inuyasha gave neither of them a chance to adjust; it wasn't exactly how he'd imagined their first time in their new home would go. He'd wanted to lay her down gently on the futon. He'd wanted to be romantic, and slow, and worship her body and tell her how beautiful she was and how lucky _he_ was and all that other mushy stuff he knew girls liked that he would never admit he honestly meant, except for when it was just the two of them alone, of course. But as soon as he'd realized it _was _just the two of them alone, with their new house built and waiting for them, he hadn't been able to wait even one minute longer before reclaiming what was his.

Fortunately, Kagome didn't seem to have any complaints. Not if the way she was clutching his shoulders as she held on for dear life while unabashedly crying out loud enough to make him really glad they didn't have any neighbors was any indication. It didn't take long at all for his release to rush up on him, but he didn't even slow down. If anything, he went even faster. His cry mingled with hers as he shouted out his pleasure. As his body begged him to stop he bit his lip to distract himself, having no intention of stopping yet. The taste of blood successfully distracted him. At least it was his own blood. Even in his craziness he had thankfully been careful enough of his fangs to avoid injuring Kagome.

And speaking of Kagome, she was seeing stars. Something was starting to wind up tight within her belly, like a coil that would snap at any moment. It was similar, and yet oh so different, to what she'd experienced before.

Before she had adequate time to contemplate what was happening, suddenly, it hit her, and she shrieked. Collapsing forward, Kagome sank her teeth into her husband's left shoulder. Fortunately, her mortal teeth were nowhere near strong enough to pierce his hanyou skin. The feel of her teeth on his shoulder erased what little control Inuyasha had left. Head thrown back, fangs bared, he roared like the demon he was.

With his legs becoming unstable, he took a hesitant step back away from the wall. Kagome could feel how shaky he was, and unwrapped her legs from around his waist as he somehow muscled up the strength to set her on her feet before he collapsed. Kagome snorted a laugh at the sight, making her way over to the raised wooden floor, her kosode in hand which she spread out on the wood to have a seat. Glancing back Inuyasha's way, he was lying prone on the hard packed earth, and if it weren't for how dark it now was in the house she would've seen sweat glistening on his body as he panted heavily for breath.

"You wear me out, woman." she heard him grunt after a moment, as he forced himself to get up.

"Didn't think it was possible to tire you out." Kagome replied teasingly.

It was Inuyasha's turn to snort a laugh, as he rummaged around in his fallen clothing for his leather pouch. Finding it, he remained nude as he hopped up onto the raised wooden floor and approached the cool and waiting firepit. It had been prepped, just not lit, so there was plenty of kindling present, a nice stack of firewood in the cradle down in the domo. Using his tinder and a couple of thinner sticks from the kindling pile, he quickly had his fire egg via the drilling method, and Kagome watched, sated and smiling, as he went about building up their fire.

Once that was done, he came over and joined her on the edge of the raised wooden floor. She smirked at him as he took a seat beside her, and he had the good grace to look sheepish, a light blush dusting his cheeks.

"Uh...sorry about that. I couldn't wait."

Kagome clicked her tongue, and then with laughing eyes, she responded, "That's all right, I forgive you."

They both laughed.

"I know how to make it up to you. How about a nice hot bath to get cleaned up before bed, so we're not all sweaty in our brand new futon?"

"Mmmm..." she hummed, closing her eyes appreciatively. "Sounds like a plan."

Nodding, Inuyasha went over to his clothes and donned his hakama, forgoing putting his fundoshi back on since he'd be getting naked again pretty soon, anyway. Kagome had similar thoughts, and standing up, she wrapped her kosode around herself, leaving that her only garment as she collected their other clothing and brought everything into the back sleeping room, leaving the sliding door open so that she could better see what she was doing with the light from the firepit in the main room. Finding the lamp Sango and Miroku had given them, she brought it out to the main room, and carefully grabbing a smaller stick from the firepit that was only burning on one end, she lit the lamp and brought it with her back into the bedroom, putting it in its place near the futon. Inuyasha, meanwhile, had taken off to the nearby river with their two large water buckets, after pouring the clean drinking water that had already been in one of the buckets into their largest metal pot, putting it over the fire to heat.

He was back in no time, the river honestly being just a few hops away for him when using his demonic speed. They spent the time it took for the pot of water to heat up talking about pleasant things, their hopes and dreams for the future. A new chapter in their lives was just beginning, and this was a new start that was long in the making, as far as they were both concerned. Finally, _finally_, they could start life together as a true married couple. The last month or so of their marriage was really more like an engagement, in Kagome's mind, since they had hardly been able to find two seconds alone together unless they escaped out into the wild. They'd even joked at one point about just moving out into the forest and living at the hot spring for a couple of weeks, but they'd ultimately decided against it, knowing they needed to maintain their presence in the village. It would've been too irresponsible to go on a prolonged vacation just so that they could have sex, but staying at Kaede's...well...they were both _very _glad to finally have a place all their own.

They'd spent a few nights while their house was still being built down by the river, near the spot they'd gone to that first night, just lying beside one another, looking up at the stars as they shared their fantasies. They'd known not to dare doing anything beyond simple kissing at the spot where they'd _already _been busted by nosy neighbors, but Hideaki and Yumiko's intrusion hadn't turned them off to the location as a whole. It _was _where Inuyasha had first seen Kagome naked, after all. It would forever hold a special place in his heart. He'd since confessed to her that while at that time he honestly had been hoping to steal the jewel shard, he'd also been surprised by the unexpected sight of her naked, glistening skin, and the only reason he'd called her disgusting had been to hide the fact that he'd actually found her _very _attractive. He'd just recently woken up from his seal, after all, and he'd still thought at the time that Kikyou had betrayed him, ripping his heart out to stomp on and laugh in his face. That was why he'd hated seeing her in the miko robes at that time. He'd hated the reminder. He wasn't about to trust Kagome so soon, knowing she was Kikyou's reincarnation. Not yet. Not until he'd finally gotten it in his head that Kagome was Kagome, not Kikyou. Then he'd fallen and fallen hard.

Even so, he _was _a man, with a working set of eyes. Even not yet liking or trusting the girl, he probably would've had a wet dream about her body that night if it weren't for the fight with Yura of the Hair and his subsequent injuries, since they had ultimately proven distracting. But it was during that fight that he'd finally gained an ounce of respect for Kagome, and he hadn't honestly hated her, even then, or otherwise, he never would've given her his fire-rat suikan for protection. A part of him had been drawn to her from the very beginning, before she'd even removed Kikyou's arrow, but the rest of him had hated himself for that weakness, doing everything in his power to convince himself he hated her. He'd confessed all this to her during one of those starry nights by the river, and Kagome had confessed in turn to all of the times she'd thought negatively about him as well, thinking in not so many words that he was an asshole she didn't want to have anything to do with. He'd chuckled at the confession. Her thoughts of him back then had hardly been a secret, after all. Her more favorable feelings towards him hadn't really been a secret, either. He'd known all along when she'd fallen in love with him. Hell, he'd heard her shout it at the top of her lungs when that damn baby had tried to grasp the darkness in her heart. He'd known how she'd felt, it'd just taken him a while to admit to himself that he actually felt the same way.

Now, in that moment, as he poured the first pot of hot water into the extra large wash tub that was their temporary bathtub until he got her a nicer one, pouring the next bucket of water into the pot to heat as well, Inuyasha could not only admit to himself that he loved her, but he could openly tell the miko to her face just what she meant to him. She was his everything. His wife, his mate, his reason for living. The fact that she was Kikyou's reincarnation had nothing to do with anything. In fact, he even told her that, since it was undeniable that she and Kikyou had the same soul, it wasn't really that she was now the reincarnation of the woman he had once loved, but instead, as far as he was concerned, Kikyou had been the _preincarnation _of the woman destined to become his mate. A sneak preview. She had been the right soul, but the wrong lifetime. She wasn't ready for him yet, and that was why things hadn't worked out between them. All along, it had always, only been Kagome. _She _was the one the fates had meant for him. Perhaps all along Kagome had not been sent back in time to correct Kikyou's mistakes, but perhaps instead, Kikyou had made those so-called mistakes per destiny in preparation for Kagome's arrival. Miko with her powers were not needed in the future, after all. Kagome had been born to be in the past. She had been born for _him_.She hadn't just been sent back to release him from his seal, Kikyou had sealed him to preserve him safe and sound for Kagome's arrival. Everything had happened as it was meant to.

He did _not _want to think about her mortality, but knowing it would be stupid to completely ignore the elephant in the room he told her in that moment that he wasn't stupid, he just didn't want to dwell on something he couldn't change. Kagome immediately agreed, and swore she'd try not to worry about it too much, either. They could both lose themselves in negative thoughts about what would happen a few decades down the road, but why the hell would they want to do that and ruin the present? It was all about _now_, enjoying each and every moment as they came. He would cherish however much time he had with her, one day at a time.

It was with that last thought in mind that Kagome followed Inuyasha into the bathing room off the main living area, stripping out of her kosode before settling herself down into the tub that was now mostly filled thanks to a couple additional quick trips to the river and back. She was definitely glad they had such a nearby water source. Watching Inuyasha strip out of his hakama as he stood beside her, she smiled up at him, the look in her eyes a cross between perverted and serene. She liked what she saw, but far beyond that, she was genuinely happy in that moment in time, as he pulled up a stool to sit behind her and begin washing her back. Normally the husband should bathe first, and Kagome and Inuyasha both knew that, but he didn't give a damn about human customs and to him, this was a gift he wanted to give to her, plain and simple. Plus he got to stare at her naked body and paw all over her as he helped wash her, so it was a gift for himself as well. He chuckled quietly.

"Hentai." Kagome said quietly, chuckling as well. Closing her eyes, she smiled in bliss as he carefully poured some hot – but not _too _hot – water down her back and shoulders, her hair pinned up on top of her head to avoid getting it wet.

"Only for you." was his soft reply.

For the next few minutes, Kagome thoroughly enjoyed Inuyasha's delicate touches as he washed her. He would've gotten into the tub with her but there wasn't enough room, so he had to wait his turn to wash the sweat and other sticky substances off his own body as well. Ordinarily, he wouldn't mind leaving them both covered with the scent of their love making. In fact, he would quite thoroughly enjoy smelling the scent of sex on the both of them, and told Kagome as much, but he knew how important being clean was to her, and despite his canine instincts he wasn't so far gone down that path that he honestly thought her wanting to get clean was her rejecting his claim of her in any way. So what if she liked to be clean, and that in doing so, it washed off his scent? He'd just have to put his scent back on her again, was all. Sleeping in his arms would do it. She didn't have to smell like _sex _to smell like his to other inu-youkai. Besides, she was his wife by human law, so she was his no matter _what _she smelled like.

"You covering me with your scent definitely isn't a problem." Kagome answered as she stood carefully in the tub, accepting the towel Inuyasha handed her which she used to dry herself off with a bit before accepting his hand next to step carefully out of the tub, watching as he took a seat in her place.

The water had cooled a little bit, which he actually preferred. As far as Inuyasha was concerned, Kagome could always bathe first. She continued talking as she sat on the stool behind him, removing the tie from her hair and using it to tie his hair up instead, before then washing his back the same as he had done for her.

"You're damn right I'm not trying to reject your claim or get rid of your scent," she assured him, "I just don't like feeling sweaty and dirty. But you can most definitely hold me in your arms all night long, every single night if you want to, and now that we have our own place, we can both be naked every single night, too."

"Don't know how I'm supposed to get any sleep like that." he chuckled in reply.

She clicked her tongue again and tweaked an ear.

"Oh, I'm sure I can think of _some_ way to tire you out."

They both laughed, and then Inuyasha told her if this was to become a nightly routine, it was _definitely _one he could live with.

Finished with his turn in the bath, he left the water in the tub and accepted the towel Kagome handed him, although the playfully threatening look he gave her told her he'd contemplated shaking himself dry until she'd sent him a playfully threatening look of her own. It was dark in the wash room, but with the sliding door open she'd had enough light to see by to see that look in his eyes. Slumping playfully, ears down, he gave her his best 'Miroku' look of feigned innocence combined with hurt at the accusation. She rolled her eyes.

Heading back into the main room, Kagome once again dressed in her kosode and Inuyasha in his hakama, the miko went over to the kitchen side of the domo and started preparing a quick and easy dinner from the things Sango and Miroku had given them. While Inuyasha had made a few trips back and forth bringing over the furniture they'd had stored at the monk and slayer's house Kagome had helped Sango whip up a few things so that she and Inuyasha wouldn't have to worry about cooking dinner from scratch that night. Tomorrow, they'd worry about getting more supplies, like rice, as well as getting their vegetable garden started. Of course, it would take a long while before they had their own vegetables, but the sooner they got it started, the sooner they'd see results. At least as their friends had already assured them, they had plenty of rice, courtesy of Inuyasha's share over at Sango and Miroku's house, and besides that there were plenty of fish in the river. They would definitely not starve. In addition, Kagome was sure they could get a few different vegetables from various villagers to keep them going until their own garden was up and running. She was looking forward to that time, when she could actually pick and prepare her own foods, grown right out in her own backyard. For that night, however, their simple pre-made dinner courtesy of their taijiya friend was more than enough.

"Anything so I don't have to go fishing right now." Inuyasha said, with all sincerity.

It was Kagome who adopted the perverted smirk as she replied with, "That's right. If you're gonna do any 'fishing' tonight, you're gonna do it right here, mister."

His eyebrows rose, but then he chuckled, shaking his head.

"Only if you help me."

"Only if you're a good boy." she countered.

"Oh, I'll be a good boy. I'll be a _very _good boy..."

They couldn't finish the rest of their dinner fast enough.

Getting their fire in the firepit banked up properly for the night they retired to their sleeping room, quickly stripping out of what little clothes they'd been wearing before settling down into their futon for the very first time. It was a surreal moment for both hanyou and miko, lying there in bed together, turning to look each other's way, realizing this was _their _bed; they were _home_.

Giving her husband a seductive smirk, Kagome reached over and extinguished the lamp. They didn't get to sleep until at least an hour later.

oooooooooo

Everyone was more than generous when it came to helping our favorite hanyou and miko get established in their new home. Hideaki and his younger brother Katsu gave seeds and fertilizer, as well as a few pointers on how best to plant and grow the various things that neither hanyou nor miko had previous experience growing.

Fortunately, for Kagome's peace of mind, even though at first when she started to ask for something the villagers practically fell over themselves to give it as a gift without question, when she insisted that she or Inuyasha could do something for them in return, as trade, most of the time the villagers merely bowed humbly and thanked them deeply for the perhaps unneeded, but appreciated gesture. Most commonly Inuyasha paid for labor with labor. In exchange for Hideaki's family helping them get their vegetable garden up and running, for example, he chopped up several days' worth of firewood for the man's family in return. For those who actually gave them ready vegetables to eat, he caught them fish. For the few villagers who were not the best at fishing, and relied more heavily on their vegetable gardens, it was a win/win situation.

Kagome, being a village miko, had to accept that certain things would be gifted to her regularly as payment for her standard miko services, the same as the villagers had always provided for Kaede's basic needs, and the younger miko was okay with this. Besides what Miroku and Sango insisted was their share, Haruto also promised them a fair rice ration from the village's main supply, as well as plain, basic cloth whenever they needed it, and several other little things, even if they weren't so little economically speaking. The smith, for example, would always provide her with arrowheads whenever needed. Her arrows were for the defense of their entire village, to destroy evil monsters that would do them harm. How could she possibly be expected to _pay _for them? This Kagome accepted, gratefully in fact, but when she approached the village's best basket weaver with a custom order for a couple different types of basket containers she'd like, she politely told the woman that she wanted to be thought of no differently from any other village woman asking for such merchandise. Most of the village women traded amongst themselves. While somebody was the best at making baskets, somebody else was the best at dyeing fabrics, and so on and so forth. Kagome's specialty was her reiki, everyone knew, and so when the woman replied that she would gladly trade and make for Kagome the new baskets she wanted in exchange for a house blessing the future-born miko smiled, and accepted it as fair trade. At least it was _something_. She might not know how to spin thread or weave cloth, but warding off dark spirits was definitely something she was good at.

For the various wooden storage containers she wanted for the house, Inuyasha not only provided the actual wood , but feeling especially grateful to Arata for his role in helping to build the house itself, not to mention all the various shelves that were already in place where Kagome had wanted them, he caught a nice sized boar for the man's family to feast on. Riku had again been called upon to assist Inuyasha with proper butchering, so that he could give the woodworker's family the ready cuts of meat instead of dumping a dead pig on their doorstep like a _lower _canine would do, and the board maker had humbly accepted Inuyasha's generous gift. The leatherworker had been grateful for the opportunity to assist Inuyasha again, of course, and like before he was paid for his own services with the hide and leftover meat.

Slowly, bit by bit, they were getting their house put together, turning their new house into a home. When the next Market Day came around they borrowed the headman's largest wheeled cart and picked up the last few large pieces of furniture that had been custom ordered in advance, hanyou and miko having timed everything that needed to be ordered so that they knew it would be ready on this Market Day. They could have had the kitchen cabinetry delivered to Kaede's village, for an extra cost, but they were all about saving money whenever able and Inuyasha didn't mind mimicking oxen when the load he was hauling actually belonged to _him_.

Getting all the big stuff put into place that night before bed, the next day Kagome immediately started putting all their smaller kitchen items away where they were supposed to go, bowls and cups in their designated cupboards, chopsticks in their little lidded boxes on the counter. He watched her work, amused, not caring in the slightest where she decided to store stuff; he was decidedly leaving it all up to her. All he cared about was that he had Kagome back, and they had a home together. Like he gave a crap which cupboard held which types of dishes.

Finally, the moment came when, aside from the grandiose bathtub he wanted to one day get for her, they were fully moved in, their house complete and ready to function day in and day out. Their vegetable garden, while still barren, was tilled and seeded, tracks in place for easy watering whenever they disposed of used buckets of water. Their storage shed, which had been strategically placed downwind, was already functioning as shelter for what would become their first batch of miso.

"I'll sort these in a minute..." Kagome said, half to herself, as she sat a basket of herbs down on the kitchen counter, a few medicinal, but most of them edibles, from the western hillside. Slipping off her sandals, she stepped up onto the raised wooden floor and headed back into their bedroom, Inuyasha watching her from his place in the domo.

It was almost too much for the hanyou, who had to secretly pinch himself as he held his arms crossed within his sleeves just to make sure these last few days hadn't been a dream. Had he and Kagome really woken up together that morning as husband and wife, in their own bed, gotten dressed, made breakfast, then went on a border patrol followed by his wife spending some time collecting herbs? Yes...yes they had.

Suddenly, he made a decision.

"Hey..." he said as he entered the sleeping room, stilling Kagome as she stood barefoot in her miko robes, about to trade them out for her yukata. "Let's go for a run."

She smirked at him.

"Didn't we just go for a run this morning? Or do you mean a _run _run?"

He chuckled.

"Nah, I just mean a regular run. There's a cliff up in the mountains I go to sometimes that has an awesome view of the village. I'd like to take you there."

"All right." she answered, smiling.

Reaching for her bow he added, "It ain't far, you don't need your arrows. We'll be back in just a few minutes."

Nodding, Kagome didn't bother putting her tabi back on, either, just following him back into the main part of the house and stepping into her sandals as she stepped down into the beaten earth domo. Inuyasha made sure their fire was still smoldering under its pile of ashes, and then they were out the door.

_So much has changed in such a relatively short period of time_... Kagome thought, as she held onto her husband's shoulders, thoroughly enjoying the ride. She would never get tired of racing through the trees with him. _And from now on, things are also going to gradually change_...

She thought about the time when their vegetables would come in, when their miso was ready, but beyond that, far beyond, she thought about when the gods might bless them with their own little one, or ones, thinking of Sango and Miroku's three children. Had she really still been worrying about her _grades_ less than two months ago? It all seemed so surreal.

_I'm going to live here, along with Inuyasha_... she told herself, as if she too had to make sure she wasn't dreaming. She smiled. _And let our days together grow_.

She wouldn't worry about something as trivial as her mortality. She certainly didn't _feel _like she was aging in that moment. She couldn't honestly imagine her body doing something as traitorous as taking her away from Inuyasha again, now that she'd found her way back to him. If she could fight the laws of time and space once, then surely she could fight the laws of time once more. Nothing was taking her away from Inuyasha. _Nothing_. Wherever he went, she would follow, and they would face the world, together. A thousand sacred jewels couldn't break their bond.

Coming to a stop on the clifftop Inuyasha had wanted to show her, Kagome had to admit, it was a fabulous view. She was glad he'd brought her here. Gazing down at the valley below made her current line of thought that much more meaningful, to spy the great vastness laid out before them.

_Inuyasha and I_..._are bound to tomorrow_.

~ Fin ~

(for now)


End file.
